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DA Wants Court To Overturn Schwarzenegger Commutation

SAN DIEGO (CBS/AP) — A lawsuit filed on Wednesday believed to be the first of its kind seeks to overturn former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's commutation of the prison sentence for the son of a political ally.

KNX 1070's Tom Reopelle reports the San Diego District Attorney has filed a civil lawsuit to try to reinstate the full 16-year sentence for Esteban Nunez.

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Nunez the son of former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez had his sentence commuted to seven years by Schwarzenegger on his last day in office.

San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said her lawsuit cites Marcy's Law which prevents people from being re-victimized as the legal basis for the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, the family of Nunez victim Luis Santos blasted the former governor's actions.

"Political swindlers hijacked our justice," Luis Santos' mother, Kathy Santos, told reporters Wednesday. "Schwarzenegger showed more compassion for a killer than for any of the four victims that night."

She called Esteban Nunez "a lucky killer with political connections."

(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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