California governor commutes all 548 death sentences to life

Summarised from 9 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 20:10 · Archive

Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted all death sentences in California to life imprisonment without parole.

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday that he will commute all 548 death sentences in the state to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The decision affects every person currently on death row in California, the largest death row population in the nation.

Newsom made the announcement in an open letter to Californians. He wrote that he believes 'state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values, undermines the foundations of our legal system, and diminishes each of us'. He acknowledged that crime victims and their families will feel the decision brings back painful memories, and recognised that prisoners on death row caused 'indescribable suffering' to their victims. Despite this, Newsom concluded that 'the state cannot morally kill them'.

The governor noted that the decision was among the most difficult of his career. He stated: 'As Governor, I alone bear responsibility for this decision and its impact, just as I alone would bear responsibility for each execution.' Newsom said those who commit brutal crimes deserve serious punishment, but that life without parole is the most severe punishment he can impose through clemency.

Newsom imposed an execution moratorium in 2019 shortly after taking office, but hundreds of death row inmates remained condemned to death. California's last execution was carried out in 2006. He previously dismantled the state's death row chamber at San Quentin prison and transferred death row inmates to other facilities where they had more freedom of movement and access to programmes.

The commutations will not happen uniformly. According to the state constitution, some cases require approval from the California Supreme Court before a governor can grant clemency to someone convicted of more than one felony. DW News reports that Newsom can commute about 40 per cent of the death sentences without court approval, while the rest will require the high court's approval to be finalised.

The move does not repeal California's death penalty statute or prevent prosecutors from seeking capital punishment in future cases. Those decisions remain with prosecutors, juries and courts. California voters have repeatedly chosen to keep the death penalty, rejecting a ballot measure in 2016 that would have abolished capital punishment.

The American Civil Liberties Union applauded the announcement, with executive director Anthony Romero stating: 'These commutations reflect what justice demands: an end to a racist, error-prone, and inhumane punishment that has burdened California for far too long.' The ACLU is involved in an ongoing legal challenge to California's death penalty statute, alleging it is racially discriminatory and unconstitutional. The Guardian reports that the move comes after a failed execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee sparked global outrage and renewed calls for a nationwide pause on capital punishment.

How it is being reported

• California governor commutes death sentences for all 548 people on death rowCalifornia has historically had the largest population of death row inmates in the US.BBC News · 5 Nov, 20:09
• Gavin Newsom commutes sentences of all death row inmates in CaliforniaGavin Newsom, a Democrat and a rumored presidential candidate, moved to commute the death sentences of 548 inmates in California for one of his last acts as governor.DW News · 5 Nov, 20:04
• 'Inhumane punishment': California governor Gavin Newsom to commute 548 death sentencesCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday said he would commute all 548 death sentences in the state to life in prison without parole, marking a major step away from capital punishment as he prepares to leave office after eight years.France 24 · 5 Nov, 19:59
• Newsom moves to commute all California death sentencesThe move does not repeal California's death penalty or prevent prosecutors from seeking it in future cases.CBS News · 5 Nov, 19:52
• Newsom commutes all 548 death sentences in California as he prepares to leave officeNewsom said the decision was among his hardest as governor of CaliforniaIndependent World · 5 Nov, 19:50
• Gavin Newsom spares every murderer on California's death row in one of his final acts as GovernorGavin Newsom has spared every murderer on California's death row in his final act as Governor.Daily Mail · 5 Nov, 19:37
• Gavin Newsom lets all of California’s 561 death row inmates escape ultimate punishmentGov. Gavin Newsom dropped a bombshell move on Thursday to commute all 561 death row inmates in California.New York Post · 5 Nov, 19:37
• Gavin Newsom commutes more than 500 death sentences in CaliforniaDemocrat’s move prevents these people from executions under future governors, after Christa Pike’s failed execution Gavin Newsom , California ’s governor, has commuted the death sentences of more than 500 people on the state’s death row on Thursday, a move that ensures they can never be executed under future administrations. The Democrat ’s mass commutation at the end of his term has converted all of the state’s death sentences to life without the possibility of parole, the largest clearing of any US death row in modern history. Continue reading...The Guardian · 5 Nov, 19:28
• All 548 death row inmates in California to have sentences changed to life in prisonCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom said he'll change all death sentences in the state to life in prison without the possibility of parole.Sky News · 5 Nov, 15:09

In this story: Gavin Newsom · California · Christa Pike · American Civil Liberties Union · California Supreme Court · San Quentin

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