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Schwarzenegger Making A Comeback

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- A judge has upheld a ruling to combine two lawsuits seeking to reinstate the full manslaughter sentence for the son of California's former Assembly speaker.

The lawsuits say former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger violated state law when he failed to notify the victims' families that he was reducing Esteban Nunez's sentence hours before he left office. Nunez's 16-year sentence was cut down to seven.

Nunez, the son of former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, pleaded guilty in the 2008 attack that killed Luis Santos outside a San Diego party.

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Laurie Earl said Thursday the lawsuits by the San Diego district attorney and the Santos family are based on similar arguments. She said the Sacramento case is further along, so they'll be heard in that court system.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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