Politics & Government

Governor Signs Prisoner Clemency Law

Under the law victims and their families will be notified when the state is considering granting a prisoner clemency

By Bay City News Service

Governor Jerry Brown announced Monday that he signed a bill requiring victims and their family members to be notified when the state is considering granting a prisoner clemency.

Assembly Bill 648 requires the governor to give a 10-day notice to the district attorney's office before responding to a prisoner's application for clemency. The legislation was prompted by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to shorten the sentence for Esteban Nunez -- a man convicted of killing Concord native Luis Santos -- without notifying Santos's family.

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Nunez -- who along with three other men is serving time for the fatal stabbing of Santos near San Diego State University on Oct. 4, 2008 -- is the son of former state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, a political ally and friend of Schwarzenegger's.

Santos' parents, Concord residents Fred and Kathy Santos, said they only heard of the governor's decision to commute Nunez'z 16-year sentence to seven years when a reporter called to ask for their comment on it. On Tuesday, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis hailed the new bill as a "major victory for crime victims throughout the state of California."

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In a prepared statement, Dumanis said, "This victory is bittersweet, as today marks the three-year anniversary that Luis Santos was killed." Fred and Kathy Santos continue to pursue a civil lawsuit seeking Nunez's original 16-year sentence to be restored. The couple could not be reached for comment.


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