DA seeks 41 year sentence in Nunez sexual abuse case

After being found guilty of sexual assault and then firing his lawyer on the eve of sentencing, ex-nonprofit leader Samuel Nunez appears poised to seek a second chance at trial, court documents show.

His cause for concern is clear: prosecutors are pushing for a 41-year prison term with no chance of probation, according to court records.

Once the CEO of the social justice nonprofit Fathers & Families of San Joaquin — which promised to “bring hope to Stockton’s communities, especially to its most marginalized groups” — Nunez was arrested in 2021 for sexual abuse.

The arrest shook Stockton and heralded the rapid collapse of the organization Nunez had established over a decade earlier. He was found guilty in June 2023 of sexually assaulting two women in his family in the early 2000s when they were children.

“The defendant used access to young female children in his home … for his sexual gratification,” prosecutor Theresa Stroud told the jury.

The vulnerability of Nunez’s victims — and the position of trust he held with them — merit the proposed four-decade stint in prison, prosecutors argued in documents filed Aug. 14.

Nunez also served time in the 1990s in Santa Clara County for shooting into a home, they noted.

A judge appointed the ex-CEO a new lawyer this month “for the purpose of a possible new trial motion,” court records show.

Nunez parted ways with his previous attorney about a month after his defeat at trial.

He is scheduled to return to court Nov. 13.

Nunez's new attorney, Phillip Krueger, could not immediately be reached for comment.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Sammy Nunez of Stockton could face 41 years prison for sexual assault