Suit seeks to nullify Schwarzenegger commutation

SAN DIEGO (AP) – The San Diego County district attorney's office is filing a civil lawsuit that seeks to nullify Arnold Schwarzenegger's commutation of a prison sentence for a political ally's son shortly before his term as California governor ended in January.

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis told reporters Wednesday that the lawsuit is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation.

A day before his gubernatorial term ended, Schwarzenegger reduced from 16 years to seven the sentence given to Esteban Nunez, son of former California Assembly speaker Fabian Nunez.

The younger Nunez had pleaded guilty in the 2008 stabbing death of a San Diego college student, 22-year-old Luis Santos.

The lawsuit names current Gov. Jerry Brown, the director of the state Department of Corrections, a state prison warden and Esteban Nunez.

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