Nunez Opens Up About Son's Commutation
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- Former State Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez granted interviews for the first time about the controversial commutation of his son's sentence by former Governor Schwarzenegger, saying he sympathizes with the victim's family but believes the commutation was the right thing to do.
Esteban Nunez, now 22, is serving a 7 year sentence at Mule Creek State Prison for aiding and abetting in the murder of Luis Santos, who was stabbed to death during a fight in San Diego.
Esteban had originally been sentenced to 16 years in prison, but Schwarzenegger commuted the sentence on his last day in office earlier this year.
"The Santos family is clearing suffering more than I could ever imagine," Fabian Nunez said. "But I would just express how horrible we feel about what happened to their son, and that we pray for that family and their son every day."
Luis Santos' father, Fred Santos, blasted the commutation as politically motivated and said the action shows the politically connected are held to a different standard than other citizens.
Nunez said he agrees his son should pay for his actions, but said he believes the original sentence was actually harsher than necessary because Esteban was the son of a politician.
"I felt like I had to do something about it," he said.
Fred Santos said his family doesn't believe the public apologies are sincere and noted that Nunez has never spoken to his family privately.
"He works for a PR firm, so this is what they do. This is what they charge clients big money to advise on how to handle the media and the public image of their client," Santos said.
