Arnold Schwarzenegger, State Prisons Sued Over Sentence Reduction for Esteban Nunez, Son of Fabian Nunez

By Dennis Romero Thu., Jan. 20 2011 at 4:12 PM

Esteban Nunez.

Did the Governator violate California's own rules when he reduced the prison sentence of Esteban Nunez, son of pal Fabian Nunez?

A lawsuit filed this week claims he did. Baby Nunez was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 16 years in prison for his involvement in the 2008 stabbing death of a young man at San Diego State University.

As one of his last acts as governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger cut that sentence to seven years in early January.

The family of victim Luis Santos was livid, and now it's taking Arnold and the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to court.

The suit claims that the the commutation violated a state law that says family of victims must be notified before a sentence is reduce. That notification, the suit argues, didn't happen here.

"By commuting the sentence of one our son's killers, Arnold Schwarzenegger committed a gross injustice against Luis and my family," father Fred Santos said, "against the families of the other victims of the crime, against the people of California and against the constitution of this state."

In a feature on the case we called Nunez and his three co-defendants "Bad Little Suburban Boys."

Daddy Nunez had the powerful post of California Assembly Speaker for some of Arnold's reign and although Schwarzenegger was fond of calling Democrats like him emasculating names, they became fast friends.

[Sacramento Bee].

Tags:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Department of Corrections, Esteban Nunez, Fabian Nunez, lawsuit, Luis Santos, San Diego State

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Frances

This is so unfair and unjust. This fool deliberatly helped to take the life of a honest individual and good person.

malibu1369

This is such a sad case. I never liked Arnie, never voted for him, and believe that his term(s) as a California Governor will go down in infamy as someone who just couldn't find a way to get the job done. This is why we elect people who have some business, law and economic experience, not actors and bodybuilders (look at the incredibly stupid reality show Jessie Ventura is now involved in). Having said that, this is one thing that Arnie did right but maybe for the wrong reasons. Nunez's sentence was inappropriate for his crime of being an accomplice to voluntary manslaughter. Our sentencing laws are stupid and don't fit the crime at all, nor do they take into account the individual who is being sentenced. Marcy's law is a complete waste of money and much of it has already been found unconstitutional. I don't condone any violence at any time, but 16 years is as inappropriate in this case as 13 years for a drug abuser that commits residential burglary. Yes, someone did die, we cannot make up this tragic death to the family and someone should be held accountable. You really need to read the full trial transcripts. This was not an easy case and the DA got really lucky with the plea deal. Nunez didn't kill anyone, this was a fight that got out of hand. Stupid, stupid male macho miss-behavior.

uyny

tinyurl.com/2c7p8hm

janesoutham

The Santos family has a great lawyer in Nina Salarno Ashford of Crime Victims United.

She's also representing a family who is suing the San Mateo District Attorney's office and prosecutor Melissa Mckowan for fraud, lying to a judge to get out of trying a case and violating victims' rights. That is a case to watch as well.