Big twist for Erik and Lyle Menendez … a judge who may have been sympathetic to their bid to get out of prison is off the case, and a new judge is coming on board.

The case has been transferred to the Van Nuys Courthouse, which is where the brothers were originally tried for murdering their parents, and the new judge coming into the fold is Michael V. Jesic of the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Jesic is a former district attorney who is known as a law and order guy and for being prosecution-oriented … and he’s described as being very smart and fair.

Folks who knew Jesic as a prosecutor say he always had a firm belief in doing what’s right rather than what’s easy.

In one example, Jesic was the third prosecutor assigned to a 2006 gang murder case, and he pushed to have the case reinvestigated after the suspect’s public defender claimed they were misidentified and wrongfully accused. Jesic’s own D.A.’s office was against the move, but he pushed his bosses to reinvestigate … and the case was ultimately dropped.

So, Jesic may be inclined to do something similar with the Menendez brothers.

Erik and Lyle seemed to have their release in the bag with Judge William C. Ryan — but now it’s not so cut and dry after the personnel change.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is requesting the Menendez brothers be resentenced, which would open the door for them to possibly be released on parole … but as we first reported, the D.A.’s office is also open to considering a change in conviction that could set the brothers free immediately.

It will be interesting to see how Judge Jesic sees things when the case goes before him in Van Nuys … and our sources say the hearing is going down in November, which is right around the corner.