Parole DENIED for Robert F. Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan, 78

On Wednesday, a California panel denied parole to Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, arguing that the 78-year-old prisoner still doesn’t know what led him to shoot the senator and then-presidential candidate. in 1968.

Sirhan’s lawyer, Angela Berry, argued against the board’s position, saying Sirhan has shown awareness of his actions, and his psychiatrists have said for years that he is unlikely to be a danger to society if released. .

Two years ago, a different California parole board had agreed with Berry, voting to release Sirhan, but Governor Gavin Newson rejected the decision in 2022.

Berry said he believes the new members of Wednesday’s board were influenced by Newsom and by lawyers representing Kennedy’s widow and some of her children: Several relatives of the slain politician oppose Sirhan’s release, though not all. .

Refusing to release Sirhan last year, the governor said the prisoner remains a threat to the public and has failed to take responsibility for a crime that changed American history.

The board denied Sirhan parole, saying it is unclear whether he fully understands the weight of his deadly actions 55 years ago.

“I feel like the board was swayed by the political whims of the governor,” Berry said after the hearing at a federal prison in San Diego County.

Berry said the elderly prisoner was also “not that eloquent” when he spoke to the board this time. The board recommended Sirhan do more work to better understand what makes a person a political assassin, he said.

The parole board hearing comes nearly six months after Berry asked a Los Angeles County judge to reverse Newsom’s denial. The case is ongoing, and Berry said it was unclear how Wednesday’s denial by the board will affect him.

“He was found fit to be released last time and nothing has changed,” Berry said. She has continued to display great behavior.

In a 3.5-minute message played during a news conference held by Berry in September, Sirhan said he feels remorse every day for his actions. It was the first time Sirhan’s voice had been heard publicly since a televised parole hearing in 2011, before California banned audio or visual recordings of such proceedings.

“To transform this weight into something positive, I have dedicated my life to self-improvement, mentoring others in prison on how to live a peaceful life that revolves around non-violence,” he said. “By doing this, I ensure that no one else falls victim to my actions again, and I hope to have an impact on others.”

Sirhan shot Kennedy moments after the US senator from New York claimed victory in the 1968 California Democratic presidential primary. He wounded five other people during the shooting at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

Sirhan, a Christian Palestinian from Jordan who suffered childhood trauma from the bombings in the Middle East, acknowledged that he was angry with Kennedy for his support for Israel, but insisted that he does not remember the shooting and that he had been drinking alcohol before.

Sirhan, who was convicted of first-degree murder, was originally sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison when the California Supreme Court briefly prohibited capital punishment in 1972.

He was denied parole 15 times until 2021, when the board recommended his release.

Sirhan’s younger brother, Munir Sirhan, has said his brother can live with him in Pasadena, California, if he gets parole. Sirhan Sirhan has waived his right to fight deportation to his native Jordan.

Sirhan has been jailed for 55 years since he shot RfK and five others during the shooting at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

Sirhan shot Kennedy moments after the US senator from New York claimed victory in California’s pivotal Democratic presidential primary in 1968.

Berry filed a 53-page writ of habeas corpus asking the judge to rule that Newsom violated state law, which says inmates must be released on probation unless they pose an unreasonable current risk to public safety. Recent California law also required the parole panel to consider that Sirhan committed the crime at a young age, 24, and that he is now a senior inmate.

She challenges the governor’s recall as an “abuse of discretion,” a denial of Sirhan’s constitutional right to due process, and a violation of California law. She also alleges that Newsom misrepresented the facts in his decision.

Newsom’s office declined to comment.

Newsom overruled two parole commissioners who had discovered that Sirhan was no longer a risk. Among other factors, Newsom said Sirhan has not denied violence committed in his name, raising the risk that he could incite political unrest.

failure split the kennedy familywith RFK’s widow, Ethel Kennedy, and several of Kennedy’s nine surviving children opposing his parole.

Wednesday’s board denied Sirhan parole for three years, but he can file a petition to request that his 17th parole hearing be held before then.