Just 16 public seats are available for the hotly anticipated hearing of the Menendez brothers, who are hoping a judge will downgrade their charges from first-degree murder to a lesser charge.

The court is expecting high demand and has announced a public lottery for a limited number of seats at a status hearing in Los Angeles on Monday.

Members of the public will be able to attend an upcoming court hearing for Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are serving life sentences for the 1989 murder of their parents, with a lottery deciding who takes 16 seats in the courtroom.