Schwarzenegger gave ex-speaker's son clemency while rejecting similar cases. Is that fair?

Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has come under criticism for reducing the sentence of the son of ex-Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez for the younger Nuñez's role in a homicide.

The Times' Jack Dolan reviewed hundreds of pages of court records and found that Schwarzenegger denied clemency for dozens of inmates involved in similar crimes. From his investigation:

In one year alone, Schwarzenegger cast aside decisions by the state's parole board to free 29 such inmates who had served long prison sentences. They, like former state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez's son Esteban, participated in crimes that left a victim dead but did not deliver the fatal blows.

And like the younger Nuñez, 11 of those inmates had no previous criminal record, according to orders from the governor's office in 2009, the most recent year for which records are publicly available.

What do you think? Was the ex-governor inconsistent in allowing clemency?

Photo credit: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[dave]

no it's not fair, but as my father coached me, "fair is that thing held once a year, ie: the local/county/state fair".. as in all aspects of business and life, i wish they wouldn't make it so obvious.. we can make a difference by pointing this out once in awhile and practicing it ourselves, Tx..

[Person of Interest]

Let's see. We have a man who has tons of money and is beyond arrogant and has an elevated sense of entitlement, but no real power. We then give this same man almost unlimited power as governor. What could possibly go wrong?

[jennifer]

Yes, Arnold was completely unfair in granting others the same clemency. I think the inmates sentence should go back to the original time. This inmate did actually stab someone, jut not the person who died.

[John Thomas]

It's a shame...I bet Arnold would not be as sympathetic if his child was the one who was the victim. It's stuff like this that makes the public think politicians are douche-bags.

[JOSE TRINI]

WOW... I WONDER HOW MUCH DID THIS "RICHIE RICH" KID GOT AWAY WITH CRIME BEFORE GETTING CAUGHT?

[Stu]

Give it a rest, LA Times. Schwarzenegger's decision can't be reversed. Leave it to the victim's family to seek redress.

[Just Wrong]

Ok lets blame Arnold and his golf buddy Fabian Nunez. Politicians are always going to scratch each other back and do favors each other and the special interest groups, but I blame the people of California that voted both those guys into office. This kinda of thing will continue until the people of California wake up and see that Republicans and Democrats do not care about the people.

[anon]

don't give it a rest LA times. We want to know and learn how to prevent this stuff from happening again. If this government should be as good as "the president said " wants to be, then it is up to a free press to create the checks and balances to corruption. It is the difference between our country and third world countries. People leave other countries because their govt is corrupt and no sense of fairness , justice therefore no future . You can say justice isn't fair but, I think we owe it for victims who can no longer defend themselves.

[tito]

Shame on a man wil no morals. Understood you didn't know how goverment work. To sell the people of california out, show a lack of understanding the trust we put into you being a decent human being. Just like the Governor of Illinos you cheapen the office in which you were entrust to,at least in his case no one dead. And for the ex speaker to think his cjild is better than the victim and his parents lose is less, their pain of a lose child is everyday. Mr ex- speaker you can go see your child everyday,now he coming home early. The parents of dead child will never be able to enjoy that pleasure. If it was the other way around,would you see it different.
Shame on both as humanm beings.

[tom]

“Ignorance is dangerous. All errors must dearly be paid for.” Schopenhauer
Swartznaeger was/is/will always be ignorant. What did he 'major in'? Lifting dumb-bells. He's got the brain of a sledgehammer. An actor you want an actor you get. Vote for an actor who majored in lifting dumbells, get a dumbell actor. The 'people' elected a delusional dumbell con man actor.
What else is Democracy but the delusional ignorant fooling & conning the hapless ignorant and naive public and getting elected to 'lead' dummies?

[Onboard Skeptic]

Actions such as this from the gubernator can only make the average citizen more cynical about politics. Idealism won't have a place anymore for those young people who aspire to change the system. " Change", "Yes, we can", where have I heard that rhetoric before?

[Damien]

Come on people, wake up! How could Californians not know that Arnold was an IDIOT? Did you really think he was a decent human being after all the things he did in his private life before becoming governor? Did you expect him to somehow straighten up after he became governor? There is only one thing Arnold understands - POWER, for himself first and then for his friends. For him, everyone else can go eat cake.

[RAY LEYVA]

my son got a 16 year sentence for being with a cousin who was spliting from girlfriend when they went to pick their kids from school without the mothers conscent he was 17 at the time he just finished high school started work for UPS and never in his life had any trouble with the law, they were charged with kidnaping if Nunes got a break for being involve in a murder case and he did stabbed a person during the crime then my son deserves to go free.

[Dick Diamond]

What did hyou expect from Arnold? Consistency? No. Fairness? No.
A firm policy? No. You elected an actor. He was "playing" a role which he was not fit to play.

[dag]

Stu is obviously someone related to either the Nunez or Schwarzenegger family, since he thinks this should be given a rest. It is a dumb question to ask though, ofcourse it is unfair that every man/woman isn't treated equally. Hopefully, the family of the slain boy has some options and hopefully they can make the ex governor suffer for his actions. I also hope that the ex governor gets to experience exactly what the slain boy's family had to experience, every bit.

[RunningWithScissors]

I doubt if Arnold has the intellect and knowledge of the justice system to make the correct decisions on these cases. He certainly did not write these documents and chances are the only interaction he had with these cases was to put sign his name on the dotted line.

Arnold got his college degree through correspondence classes, probably through work done by people he hired. So what changed when he became governor? Nothing.

[carlos]

i think arnold got paid big time. either on gifts or favor!

[James Andrews]

Fair? What part of government has ever been fair. Government starts with issuing rules. Each one helps someone and hurts another. What is fair?

Is it fair to take from someone and give to another? I know it make the person decide who gets feel better, but is it fair to the one things are taken from?

Is it fair to tax a $30,000 a year worker to pay the pensions of a $100,000 a year public employee?

Is it fair to require someone to pay more for their health insurance so someone's adult child can be on Mom and Dad's policy for less?

Is it fair to charge someone more for their electricity so someone can pay less or so someone can feel better about being "green"?

Government has never been fair.

[Marilyn Golding]

There should be no difference between criminals convicted of similar crimes. Being a famous person's child should not be a criteria for commuting or reducing a sentence.
By the way, where was Arnold's compassion when it came to commuting the death penalty for Stanley "Tookie" Williams when famous world leaders, including the Pope, asked him to reconsider. The death penalty is barbaric.

[jsa26]

The Times has lobbied for clemency for drug dealers, murderers and illegal aliens for as long as I have been reading the paper.

Governors and Presidents have the power to grant clemency for no reason whatsoever.

Is this fair? I don't think so, but it is the way it is. Almost every time they do it I cringe. Seldom do I feel it was appropriate.

[Big John]

EVERYBODY SEAMS SO SURPRISED . YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING. DID YOU THINK IT WOULD BE ANY OTHER WAY. ALL OF YOU ARE IN FOR A RUDE DAY WHEN YOU WAKE UP & SEE WHAT THE POOR HAVE KNOWN FOR MANY MANY MANY YEARS. SO SORRY YOUR BUBBLE HAS BUST & NOW YOU WILL GET TO KNOW THAT AS MIDDLE CLASS YOU NO LONGER WILL BE SAFE FROM ALL THAT THE POOR HAD TO DEAL WITH ALL THESE YEARS WHILE YOU TURNED A BLIND EYE. LETS SEE HOW DEEP THE RABBIT HOLE REALLY IS & LETS SEE IF YOU CAN DEAL WITH IT.

[augie bareno]

In one respect arnold actions have some merit,it should finally kill the BS,that private sector people can jump right in and use their "Private sector experience and magicall apply it to a very complicated government financing and budget process.The failures are legion,riordan,jesse ventura,bersin and many more.The other mystery,is why Nunez?.Beyond nunez' star worship of arnold,it doesnt make sense,with nunez out of the legislature,he offer arnold nothing of value.He was significant,when he was speaker,however,his speakership and most of those in recent time are not called upon or expected to really have the ability to solve california problems,like it was with willie brown and those of that era.His significance as a chicano leader statewide,is limited and doesnt extend beyond democratic-union stuff,which is nice if your in the business,but doesnt mean a whole lot,to the broader community.Bad move all the way around.There are two victims in this drama,it seems to me,first Mrs Nunez,whose son,could have used some guidance on choice making,but for her as a mother to have to witness her sons,fate play out again in the media and have her hurt judged by people that dont know her and most profoundly esteban,who will have to guard against all the people "good and bad",who are doing time,who wish they could get the sam kind of break.This move has to be one of the ugliest political strategies that has imploded on arnold,in the history of the state of california.

[MICHAEL WHITE]

One thing is for sure: Arnold Schwarzenegger will never be elected to a political office again. Who's going to vote for a man with such a bad record and negativity? They'll run him out of Hollywood, or in this case, Sacramento or Washington D.C.

[Shirley]

U stupid Californians voted him in. Couldn't wait to get rid of Gray. Got what u deserved.

[JoeBob]

Arnold as governor was a joke to begin with so it did not surprise me with his last minute clemency for a fellow politician.