The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is apologizing to the Menendez family for not giving advanced warning that crime scene photos would be shown at a recent hearing … but, they add the choice was made to show the full truth.

In a statement to TMZ … the L.A. County D.A.’s Office tells us they apologize for the upsetting nature of the crime scene photos they showed — adding it wasn’t the office’s intention to upset the members of the family.

However, we’re told these hearings are “intended to be a place where the truth, no matter how painful, is brought to light” … so, the photos needed to be shown in order to depict the brutality of the crime.

The L.A. County D.A.’s Office also defends the conduct of District Attorney Nathan Hochman … pointing out he met with more than two dozen family members of Erik and Lyle for more than three hours — something they claim no prior D.A. has done for the family in more than three decades.

The statement ends with a blanket trigger warning … telling people who are coming to the hearing to “be prepared for some of the difficult details and images surrounding these tragic circumstances.”

The statement does not include a response to the allegation that showing the crime scene photos during Friday’s resentencing hearing sent Terry Baralt to the hospital.

As we told you … the 85-year-old aunt of Erik and Lyle was found unresponsive in her hotel room this weekend — and, the family says she’s in critical condition because of the stress around this trial, particularly regarding the gruseome photos.

Bryan Freedman — the attorney representing the family — slammed prosecutors for showing these images … calling the move a “despicable action [that] was a clear violation of Marsy’s law which requires absolute empathy toward victims.”

Mark Geragos — Erik and Lyle’s attorney who cohosts our “2 Angry Men” podcast — made similar statements during a news conference Friday after a judge granted Erik and Lyle a resentencing hearing next week.