Editing Arnold Schwarzenegger (section)

====Death of Luis Santos====
{{main|Death of Luis Santos}}
In May 2010, Esteban Núñez pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the [[death of Luis Santos]]. Núñez is the son of [[Fabian Núñez]], then [[California Assembly]] Speaker of the House and a close friend and staunch political ally of then governor Schwarzenegger.<ref name="The Reporter-2006">{{Cite web |date=March 10, 2006 |title=Judge: Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's sentence cutting of Esteban Nunez was legal |url=http://www.thereporter.com/article/zz/20120908/NEWS/120907396 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011223803/http://www.thereporter.com/article/zz/20120908/NEWS/120907396 |archive-date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=October 12, 2016 |publisher=Thereporter.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=May 7, 2013 |title=Dan Walters: Schwarzenegger leaves a foul stench |url=http://www.dailynews.com/article/ZZ/20110105/NEWS/110108106 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013105720/http://www.dailynews.com/article/ZZ/20110105/NEWS/110108106 |archive-date=October 13, 2016 |access-date=October 12, 2016 |publisher=Dailynews.com}}</ref><ref name="Dillon-2016">{{Cite news |last=Dillon |first=Nancy |date=April 11, 2016 |title=Calif. pol's son who killed college student out of prison |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/calif-pol-son-killed-college-student-prison-article-1.2596545 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011060905/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/calif-pol-son-killed-college-student-prison-article-1.2596545 |archive-date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=October 12, 2016 |work=Daily News |location=New York}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Goffard |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Goffard |date=December 23, 2014 |title=On the eve of a murder trial, a deal is struck. But will it stick? |url=http://graphics.latimes.com/nunez-santos-part-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160905151052/http://graphics.latimes.com/nunez-santos-part-2/ |archive-date=September 5, 2016 |access-date=October 12, 2016 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

As a personal favor to "a friend", just hours before he left office, and as one of his last official acts, Schwarzenegger [[Commutation of sentence|commuted]] Núñez's sentence by more than half, to seven years.<ref name="Dillon-2016" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lovett |first=Ian |date=January 3, 2011 |title=Schwarzenegger Commutes Sentence of Politician's Son |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/us/04pardon.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730204846/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/us/04pardon.html |archive-date=July 30, 2017 |access-date=March 13, 2017 |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name="Lah-2015">{{Cite web |last=Lah |first=Kyung |date=July 8, 2015 |title=Arnold Schwarzenegger's last act as governor follows him |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/07/us/arnold-schwarzenegger-clemency/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011142512/http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/07/us/arnold-schwarzenegger-clemency/ |archive-date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=October 12, 2016 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> He believed that Núñez's sentence was "excessive" in comparison with the same prison term imposed on Ryan Jett, the man who fatally stabbed Santos.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dobuzinskis |first=Alex |date=January 4, 2011 |title=Schwarzenegger criticized after commuting Nunez sentence |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-schwarzenegger-commutation-idUSTRE7030DC20110104 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608215014/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-schwarzenegger-commutation-idUSTRE7030DC20110104 |archive-date=June 8, 2022 |access-date=June 8, 2022 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref> Against protocol, Schwarzenegger did not inform Santos' family or the San Diego County prosecutors about the commutation. They learned about it in a call from a reporter.<ref name="Lah-2015" />

The Santos family, along with the San Diego district attorney, sued to stop the commutation, claiming that it violated [[Marsy's Law]]. In September 2012, Sacramento County superior court judge Lloyd Connelly stated, "Based on the evidentiary records before this court involving this case, there was an abuse of discretion... This was a distasteful commutation. It was repugnant to the bulk of the citizenry of this state." However, Connelly ruled that Schwarzenegger remained within his executive powers as governor.<ref name="The Reporter-2006" /> Subsequently, as a direct result of the way the commutation was handled, Governor [[Jerry Brown]] signed a bipartisan bill that allows offenders' victims and their families to be notified at least 10 days before any commutations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGreevy |first=Patrick |date=October 4, 2011 |title=Gov. Jerry Brown signs notification bill on reducing sentences |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-oct-04-la-me-brown-legislation-20111004-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011223323/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/04/local/la-me-brown-legislation-20111004 |archive-date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=October 12, 2016 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Núñez was released from prison after serving less than six years.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 10, 2016 |title=Esteban Nuñez is released from prison after his sentence was drastically reduced by Schwarzenegger |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-esteban-nunez-released-from-prison-20160410-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012035352/http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-esteban-nunez-released-from-prison-20160410-story.html |archive-date=October 12, 2016 |access-date=March 4, 2017 |work=Los Angeles Times |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>