Posted on 01/02/2011 11:13:24 PM PST by nickcarraway
Outgoing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has commuted the prison sentence of the son of a former state Assembly speaker, cutting his sentence from 16 years to 7 years in the 2008 killing of a Concord man.
The move came just hours before Schwarzenegger was to leave office.
In 2009, Esteban Nuñez, son of Fabian Nuñez, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of Luis Dos Santos, 22, during a fight in San Diego. He and co-defendant Ryan Jett were sentenced to 16 years in prison, the maximum sentence.
Santos, who was attending San Diego Mesa College, was killed in a fight between two groups of men near San Diego State on Oct. 4, 2008. Jett confessed to stabbing Santos; Esteban Nuñez confessed to stabbing another man in the stomach, according to Schwarzenegger's commutation order. Santos' father said it was a cowardly political deal by the governor.
"Arnold Schwarzenegger knows this was wrong, that's why he waited until the last minute to try to sneak it by," Fred Santos said from his Concord home.
Santos said the family was not warned about the impending commutation and learned about it Sunday from media members.
"The governor did not even have the courtesy to notify the victim's family," Santos said. "This is dirty politics: cutting backroom deals. I guess if you're the son of somebody important you can kill someone and get all sorts of breaks."
A spokesman for Schwarzenegger said the governor's office would have no further comment beyond the news release and statement it sent Sunday.
Nuñez was sentenced under a plea deal; he had been charged with murder, for which he could have received life in prison. Judges have denied his appeals for a lesser sentence.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
I guess it helps to be the son of Nabien Foonyez.
Up until today, I respected Governor Schwarzenegger. I did not agree with many of his decisions, but felt that he was attempting to contribute to the public service and was at least better than Gray Davis. This pardon just destroyed any illusion I may have had about Schwarzenegger. This decision transcends politics and can only be characterized as pure corruption. I can’t imagine what the family of Luis Santos must be going through today.
Up until today, I respected Governor Schwarzenegger. I did not agree with many of his decisions, but felt that he was attempting to contribute to the public service and was at least better than Gray Davis. This pardon just destroyed any illusion I may have had about Schwarzenegger. This decision transcends politics and can only be characterized as pure corruption. I can’t imagine what the family of Luis Santos must be going through today.
Rush warned everyone not to put this guy in office.
Mr. “I em beehoolden to no vun” ran kaleefournya into the ground did a big personal favor to a political big-wig and gave a murderous thug a huge break.
Just when you thought Schwarzenegger couldn’t get any sleazier. Wow.
What a pathetic piece of sh!+.
He had the same chief of staff as Davis, and he appointed more Democrats to office than Republicans.
I guess this will get Arnold that Green Czar job he wanted Obama to give him. I’ll be curious what reasons Arnold gives for this decision. There aren’t any other people incarcerated to CA Prisons that deserve commutation?
And so he cements his Legacy as a RINO forever...
Sirhan Sirhan
Big Arnold is a big coward and ashamed of what he did, but he did it anyway.
I wonder how much more American citizens going to take off these political jerks before they stand up and find their spine.
That is a good question. It’s one that I really worry about, do we have a limit or are we now totally shot to hell?
Arnold has truly shown that he is a girly man & squats to pee.
FUAS!
Uh .. I believe that it was .. and still is Kalifornians that inflicts the $#it on themselves!
Apparently the junior Noon-yezz confessed to stabbing another person in the stomach, but nonetheless pleaded guilty to stabbing Santos, so according to el Gobernador, that’s a reason why he shortened the sentence.
Government of corruption by corruption and for corruption.
As far as his Father being the big Rat Speaker, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. He is as big a POS as his kid, if not the reason his kid turned out like he did. Too bad his parenting skills impacted so many others.
Also read that the Nunez tortured animals as a teenager, but I can't confirm it. Sounds like the makings of a true sociopath came to pass.
My sympathies to the families of the Victims. Hopefully justice will be served when this creep is released. Take that anyway you want to. If he had murdered my kid, whatever Arnold did would make no difference in Nunez's ultimate fate.
The steroids addled his brain
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.