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"About my son..."
Governor Jerry Brown is in. The Terminator is out, but not before making some controversial last moves. FORMER Governor Schwarzenegger took it upon himself before packing up and leaving Sacramento to commute prison sentences including that of Esteban Núñez – the son of former Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez . In case you missed the news, back in 2008, a drunken fight broke out in San Diego when Esteban Núñez and his friends got stab happy following a confrontation at a Frat party. As a result, Luis Santos was fatally stabbed in the heart and died in a pool of blood. In the trial that ensued, Núñez, was initially charged with murder, but pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in a deal that ultimately netted him a sixteen year prison sentence – more than he bargained for. His friend, who was found to have delivered the deadly blow, was also given the same sentence.
"I'll show your son how to really knife someone"
This political “mauve” moment runs horribly afoul. Everyone knows that Former Republican Governor Schwarzenegger and Democratic ex-Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez are buenos amigos! In justifying the action of reducing Esteban Núñez’s prison sentence from 16 years to 7, the Terminator said, “I do not discount the gravity of the offense, but given Nuñez’s limited role in Santos’ death, and considering that … Nuñez had no criminal record prior to this offense, I believe Nuñez’s sentence is excessive.”
The family of Luis Santos was angered by the move as the Los Angeles Times reported:
“We are totally outraged,” said Fred Santos, the father of Luis Santos. “For the governor to wait until the last day in hopes it would fly under the radar is an absolute injustice.”
He said the family was not warned about the impending commutation and learned about it Sunday from reporters. “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.”
OJ readers, what do you think?
[poll id=”298″]
I want to pick both answers to the poll. You mind, I’m gonna fix it up so that’s possible, ok?
For what option? “Commuted, but not by 9 years?”
I’d say 16 years was probably excessive for the guy that didn’t actually do the murder; and that if he wasn’t the son of a powerful friend of the Governor’s he would have never got it commuted. And if Arnold’s gonna let off his buddy’s son, he should have put his staff, for months, on the job of finding other Californians who are suffering similarly or worse excessive sentences, and probably have pardoned or commuted many thousands.
So I picked injustice twice.
Aight. I don’t mind it being fixed up for a third option.
The other two people who were stabbed by Nunez did not die — but the assault and his intentions were there. Those two happened to get treatment in time.
Nunez lacked any remorse; instead, he stated to the others that his dad, Fabio Nunez, would get him off.
This is a major travesty and Schwarzeneger has revealed that he is an absolute crook. His lack of concern for the victim’s family, and for the families of the two who were stabbed by Nunez, speaks volumes about his politics, ethics, and cronyism.
Pathetic statement about politics as usual.
Not to mention his attempt to destroy evidence (a bloody shirt) and his claim that gangster rap made him do it. Oh, and there was his lawyer’s attempt to blame a group of black kids seen in the area (racial profiling anyone?). But yeah Vern, it was too much of a sentence. I’d love to see you tell that to the kid’s family – in person.
Fine, you guys know more about the case than I do. Maybe it was the right sentence.
I also said it was unfair that a well-connected kid would get an unusual break, like usual.
And people complain about Mexico being corrupt!
This was the ultimate backroom deal. The only good from it, is that exposes Schwartznneeger as the total phony he is or to be generous has become.
I can’t help but notice all of the GOP voters who stood behind him are nowhere to be found. It’s like a large version of Mike Corona.
SEVEN FAILED YEARS.
Republicans ditched Arnold years ago. They didn’t like the one good thing about him – his environmental record – signing and fiercely protecting AB32, taking climate change seriously… and fighting for High Speed Rail. Also, despite how rightwing he was economically, he did a couple things that they characterize as tax hikes.
So pretty much nobody’s happy with him.
Yeah, I realize that Vern, but it did’nt stop Cunningham and Fleishman from carrying water for Arnold for years.
When a proven viable alternative, albeit a Democrat Phil Angilides ran, the lambasted him as a “Tax and Spend” liberal. Truth is, Phils’ fiscal experience was ten times that of the “Governator”, Guys like these two and the John and Ken minons, do the GOP a huge disservice.
But then again it’s all about a paycheck (or free tuition) to them, not about California!
There are several thousand people serving time under 3 strikes and other laws in this State for more than the 16 years Nunez was sentenced to, for lessor offenses than he committed.
Many of these should have the same opportunity to have thier sentences reviewed and revised.
This is definately a political favor, this from a Governor who has resisted any sentencing reform or sentence review policies.
Do I expect any better from our new governor in this area, not at all. Compassionate and reasonable on sentencing Jerry Brown went somewhere else when he decided to run for State office again.( Attorney General and now Governor)
I do believe that his policies in most other areas will be an improvement over the current Governor but I have been wrong before.
Certainly he was a better Choice than the likely alternative would have been.
This is a classical case of the butter-up politics Mexican stile. You have son of the Austrian Nazi who was burning Jews by the bushels in the Mauthausen, pardoning the son of the Mexican psychopath.
If you wouldn’t be so stupid folks, and pay attention to where you going, maybe we could get ahead.
Some one should check who Governor Brown commuted at the end of his last terms.
It is a abused system for the government highbrows, I am suprised he didn’t say “Let them eat cake”
The LAT ran another piece on the controversy this morning:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-nunez-20110104,0,2201525.story
It retraces the background of political support stemming from 2008 writing, “Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in his letter, called young Nuñez “a decent and responsible young man.””
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