esteban nunez's father is fabian nunez, california's most powerful lawmaker and california assembly speakerw the politician was standing by his son. nunez called his mr. tall friends to support his son. state political leaders and the mayor of los angeles who wrote to the court that esteban nunez is a young man of good and upright character. >> was anyone in power speaking up for your son? >> no. >> reporter: while politics swirled, just days before it began they were offered a plea deal by the prosecution. >> i pray that the universe will deliver you a just punishment. >> at sentencing 16 years behind bars each the maximum penalty for manslaughter and assault. >> it was better than nothing which is why we agreed to the plea deal. >> what happened? >> we got cheated out of that. >> what the santoss didn't know was that nunez had forged a close relationship with arnold schwarzenegger. on his last night in office schwarzenegger commuted nunez's sentence slashing his 16 years to just seven. he is set to be released next year. >> i think it was political cronyism. >> reporter: cnn repeatedly re

fabian nunez, once california's most powerful caratdemocrat and once known friend of schwarzenegger'she nerve or the heart to contact us and tell thoughts he had planned to do this. i mean come on. be a man. >> reporter: while arnold wouldn't address the case someone else did. after refusing repeated requests for an interview, fabian nunez called cnn after our story first aired on monday. he repeated statements he has made in the past. >> there was a totally different standard, legal standard aplayedplyied to my son. and went on to argue schwarzenegger righted wrongs perpetuated by a conservative judge and overzealous district attorney. nunez claims the da pushed for the plea-bargain not his son because she wanted a high profile conviction before making a run for mayor. she called that ridiculous. >> i would say if that were true we were trying to treat him differently and go all out because it was a powerful person we never would have plea-bargained this case. >> reporter: fabian nunez and arnold schwarzenegger in his comb tags letter claimed the case was never airtight. and they sai

all out because it was a powerful person we never would have plea bargained this case. >> but fabian nunezhwarzenegger claim the case was never as air tight as a prosecution argued. witnesses say co-defendant ryan jett already on probation actually stabbed santos while nunez stabbed two others who survived. considering nunez's limited role in the killing and clean prior record i believe his sentence is disproportionate it jett's but that's not how arnold schwarzenegger ruled one year earlier when he refused to commute sentences of 29 suspects who had limited roles in various hom homicides. 29 suspects with no powerful political connections to governor arnold schwarzenegger. >> i think this connotation it a complete joke. it highlights how politics has come into permeate the entire justice system. >> cnn, los angeles. >> elsewhere in california, american actor tom sellic may have reached settlement with the water district which accused him of stealing trucks full of water during the stitate's devastating drought. >> it was all uncovered in an investigation reminiscent of one of his most pop

hoy vamos a hablar con el analista republicano lincoln dÍaz-balart, con el demÓcrata fabiÁn nÚÑez y connez, del consejo nacional de la raza. ¿cÓmo se escapó el chapo? nuestra corresponsal marÍa antonieta collins ha seguido cada paso de la escapatoria del narco mÁs poderoso del mundo. ella estÁ aquÍ. la congresista demÓcrata loretta sÁnchez quiere ser la primera senadora hispana de los estados unidos y nos dice cÓmo piensa lograrlo. esta semana, estados unidos y cuba reabrieron sus embajadas despuÉs de medio siglo. hablamos con tres bailarines del ballet cubano que desertaron. nos dicen por quÉ en cuba se sentÍan explotados. estÁ con nosotros el actor de hollywood jake gyllenhaal. hablamos de su nueva pelÍcula, "southpaw", y de cÓmo logra transformar su imagen para el cine. comenzamos. >> vamos "al punto", con jorge ramos. >> vamos "al punto". y bienvenidos a nuestro nuevo set. comenzamos el programa hablando de la campaÑa por la presidencia en el 2016 y de cÓmo el empresario donald trump la ha transformado. sus declaraciones en contra de los inmigrantes mexicanos y sus ataques personale

esteban's father is fabian fabian nunez.was also a known political friend to schwartznegger. >> cowardly act that he didn't even have the nerve or the heart to contact us and tell us that he had planned to do this. i mean, come on. be a man. >> while arnold wouldn't address d case, someone else did. >>> after refusing repeated requests for an interview, fabio nunez called cnn. he's repeated statements he's made in the past. >> there was a totally different standard legal standard, applied to my son. >> then went onto argue that he merely righted wrongs perpetuate e waited by a conservative judge. nunez claims d.a. pushed for the plea bargain, not his son, because she wanted a high profile conviction before making a run for mayor. >> i would say if that were true we were trying to treat him differently and go all out because i was a powerful person? we never would have plea bargained this case. >> but nunez and arnold claimed the case was never as air tight as the prosecution article e argued. witnesses said co-defendant alre

es the father is fabian nunez. >> he didn't even have the heart to contact us and call us and tell us do this. i mean come on. be a man. >> reporter: while arnold wouldn't address the case someone else did. nunez called cnn after our story first aired on monday. he repeated statements he's made in the past. >> there was a totally different standard legal standard applied to my son. >> reporter: then went onto argue schwarzenegger righted wrongs per pechlwitch perpetuated by a judge. she wanted a high profile conviction before making a run for mayor. she calls that ridiculous. >> i would say that if that were true we were trying to treat him differently and go all out because it was a powerful person. we never would have plea bargained this case. >> reporter: but nunez and swerz negative schwarzenegger claimed it was never as airtight a case as the prosecution argued. he said nunez stab twodbed two others who survived. considering nunez's clean record i believe his sentence is disproportionate. >> what is your gut? >> my gut is that kyung law does a good job tracking down and getting d