The Menendez brothers will make their cases for parole starting Thursday, marking the closest they've been to winning freedom from prison since their convictions almost 30 years ago for murdering their parents.

If granted parole by the panel, the brothers would not walk free immediately. The panel's decision is subject to review by the parole board's legal office, which would have 120 days to evaluate the decision, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation .

Attorneys for the Menendez brothers ask the court to reconsider the convictions and life sentences in light of new evidence from a former member of the boy band Menudo, who