Newsom announces commutations for all 548 California death sentences
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that all 548 current death sentences in the state will become life without parole. The announcement followed months of deliberation at the end of his governorship, and follows years of opposition to capital punishment and a 2019 execution moratorium.
Bias breakdown and outlet coverageon the RUSH story page →The decision
NBC News, MS NOW, The Guardian and The Epoch Times reported Newsom’s open letter announcing the commutations. He said he was acting because of his objection to state-sanctioned killing, while acknowledging victims’ families and Californians who disagree.
The move does not repeal California’s death penalty or bar prosecutors from seeking it in future cases. California last executed a prisoner in 2006, and Newsom imposed a moratorium in 2019.
Review and reaction
The California Supreme Court must review clemency for people with multiple felony convictions. NBC News, The Daily Wire and New York Post disagree on the number requiring that review: Newsom’s announcement says 382, according to NBC and Daily Wire, while the San Luis Obispo District Attorney’s Office told the Post it was 342.
NBC News and The Daily Wire covered opposition from victims’ relatives and prosecutors, and support from death-penalty opponents. Breitbart, one of this event’s other sources, reported that Gov.-elect Xavier Becerra has pledged to maintain the execution moratorium.
Why this matters
The proposal covers the largest state death-row population, with the required court reviews still pending, and sets an early policy marker from California’s outgoing Democratic administration after the midterms.