Father 'outraged' Schwarzenegger reduced sentence of politician's son in murder case
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to reduced the prison sentence of the son of former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, who had pleaded guilty to participating in the killing of a college student, has been harshly criticized by the victim's family.
"We are totally outraged," said Fred Santos, father of Luis Santos, told The Times' Evan Halper and Tony Perry. "For the governor to wait until the last day in hopes it would fly under the radar is an absolute injustice."
Santos, a software engineer in Concord in Northern California, said Esteban Nuñez "had already gotten lucky once" when prosecutors accepted a plea bargain that allowed him to avoid standing trial on murder charges, which could have led to a life sentence. "The governor did not even have the courtesy to notify the victim's family," he 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."
Esteban Nuñez, now 21, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in the stabbing death of Luis Santos. Schwarzenegger cut the prison term to seven years, noting in a statement that Nuñez, although involved in the fight that ended in Santos' death, did not inflict the fatal knife wound. Schwarzenegger cited a finding by the court that it was Esteban Nuñez's friend Ryan Jett who stabbed Santos, "severing his heart."
EDITOR'S PICKS:
Even with daddy Fabian out of elective office, he still gets the perks. Politicians can always use the line "Do you know who I am?" Oh, the arrogance.
Posted by: Fed Up | January 03, 2011 at 05:53 AM
"although involved in the fight that ended in Santos' death, did NOT inflict the fatal knife wound. "
Great. Now that sends a strong message that you can be freed as an accessory to murder even if you don't do the stabbing.
He needs more time in jail. And he needs to do some community service for those who lost loved one's the same way, so he understands the gravity of what he did.
Posted by: Mike Fitzpatrick | January 03, 2011 at 06:18 AM
Welcome to a third world country. Connections is everything.
Posted by: Nate Carreon | January 03, 2011 at 06:28 AM
I wonder how our former governor would have felt if it was one of his children who had been murdered? What a sleazy, back-room deal. Good riddance, Ahh-nold....
Posted by: USC Trojan Fan | January 03, 2011 at 06:37 AM
It's outrageous...Whatever happened to.....do the crime do the time? Huh?
Posted by: Joe | January 03, 2011 at 06:40 AM
Makes me sick! The kid is guilty, let him pay the price! No one I know would get this break!
Posted by: Judy | January 03, 2011 at 07:39 AM
special treatment ?
Posted by: rob | January 03, 2011 at 07:41 AM
This is OBVIOUSLY another case of "dirty politics" at its worst. If our (Thank God) former Governor had the decency to either discuss, or consider the victim's family instead of Political interests, he would have informed them first so that a rebuttal could be done, and not waited until the last day possible, which shows his TRUE COLORS of being a COWARD!!! To further state that "I do not discount the gravity of the offense" is merely the end of a long trail of lies that this individual has inflicted on the people of California. Good By "Arnie" and good riddance. Maybe now we'll have a real Governor instead of someone who just wants to "Act like one."
Posted by: Robert Papac | January 03, 2011 at 08:13 AM
Man, Arnold fell in lock step with all the rest of the one hand wash the other both hands wash the face California politicians that has gotten California into the mess it is today.
SHAME on you Arnold, if you wanted a legacy with a real black eye in my book, this one will do it for you.
I didn't agree with all of your decisions, but I thought you stood for something that made you different from the rest. I WAS WRONG......
Posted by: Carol G. | January 03, 2011 at 09:12 AM
COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY INEXCUSABLE!!!!
Posted by: LAinWLA | January 03, 2011 at 09:46 AM
So when do you think this deal was made??? I'd say shortly before the kid took the (already light) plea bargain and right after Nunez told Arnold he'd be his bitch for the rest of his term. Done & Done!!!
Posted by: Tom Thompson | January 03, 2011 at 10:10 AM
Definitely backroom deals. I'm sure the victim, Luis Santos, would like to have his death sentence commuted as well. Hey Arnold, you forgot to bring the victim, Luis Santos, back to life? I mean if you're going to play let's make a deal with a murder accomplice's prison sentence then you should be able to commute the victim, Luis Santos, death sentence, as I'm sure he would like to hang out with friends, graduate from college, get married and have kids too.
Posted by: Carol S. | January 03, 2011 at 10:25 AM
Wow, this is just beyond any reason. I hope where ever Arnold goes from now on some one has the guts to ask him why he did this. Every time he goes out he should have to hear about this from some one.
Posted by: RUBEN | January 03, 2011 at 11:46 AM
FOR US UP HERE IN SACRAMENTO-WE ARE ALL DISGUSTED...ALL I CAN HOPE IS THAT WHEN GAS HOLE GETS BACK INTO TO TOWN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU THAT IS ANGRY ABOUT THIS PROTESTS IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE. PLEASE PLEASE MAKE HIS LIFE MISERABLE ANY WAY YOU CAN-HE SURE HAS RUINED A LOT OF LIVES UP HERE!!
Posted by: Micki | January 03, 2011 at 12:25 PM
Definitely special treatment. No way would this thug have gotten pardoned if he had not been Nunez's son.
Posted by: kgoddess | January 03, 2011 at 12:33 PM
Remember OJ . ??
Posted by: curtis j reynolds | January 03, 2011 at 12:35 PM
This is appalling! Arnold you are a dirty crook! How could you do this to the victims family? Do you not have any compassion?? I bet if it was a family relative who was murdered they would have all recieved life. California's justics system is ridulous. People are spending the rest of their lives in jail for our stupid 3 strikes law, but then a young man is an accessory to murder only gets 7 years!!! WOW...
Posted by: Disgusted | January 03, 2011 at 12:45 PM
It has always mattered who you are in this world. Money, fame, personal standing have always dictated justice. Nothing new there. Now, in the next world, that is where something much deeper matters.
Posted by: Kathyo | January 03, 2011 at 01:13 PM
You show a sympathetic picture of Esteban Nunez crying in court. Where is a picture of his victim, Luis Santos? Too trivial a person to deserve a photo?
Corrupt Mexifornia politics at its finest. Deport Arnold to Europe (or Massachussettes) and send Fabian Nunez and his killer spawn packing back to Faby's beloved Meheeeco, so Faby can pledge allegiance to the Mexican flag every day if he wants to.
Posted by: Maria | January 03, 2011 at 01:45 PM
He should have free'd Tookey!
Posted by: Ostralia Mathews | January 03, 2011 at 02:02 PM
If I were a member of the victim's family, I would be livid. This is soooo arrogant of Schwarzenegger.
Posted by: Jez | January 03, 2011 at 02:14 PM
Schwarzenegger has been a complete failure.
Posted by: schmavic | January 03, 2011 at 02:36 PM
Good Ol Arnie can go to HELL!!!
Posted by: Raul | January 03, 2011 at 03:31 PM
So he didn't stab anyone. He did, however, participate in beating the other boy up, thus leaving him vulnerable to the fatal stabbing. Further, why reduce his sentence when he'd taken a plea deal in the first place? Shame on you, Arnold Schwarzenegger; SHAME.ON.YOU.
Posted by: Beyond Disappointed | January 03, 2011 at 04:14 PM
Since when does a California Governor care about a Latino thug? When he is the son of a political buddy with whom he rubs elbows.
Posted by: GoldenStateGal | January 03, 2011 at 06:52 PM