California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he plans to commute the death sentences of all 548 people currently on the state’s death row, replacing those sentences with life in prison without the possibility of parole. The move would affect 529 men and 19 women, but most of the commutations still need court approval before they can take effect.
Newsom said he believes the state’s death penalty system is incompatible with California’s values and said the decision was among the most difficult of his career. He also acknowledged that the announcement could bring painful memories back for families of crime victims.
The governor can commute some sentences himself. However, 382 cases require approval from the California Supreme Court because the people sentenced to death also have multiple felony convictions. That means Newsom’s announcement does not immediately change every sentence. The court will have to review and approve those cases.
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If completed, the commutations would change the sentences to life without parole. They would not release the people on death row, and California’s death penalty would remain legal. The state has not carried out an execution since 2006, and Newsom imposed a moratorium on executions in 2019.
California voters rejected a 2016 ballot measure to abolish the death penalty. Newsom said he respects voters’ decision to keep capital punishment on the books, while arguing that the governor’s clemency authority allows him to act in individual cases.
The announcement comes as Newsom prepares to leave office after two terms. It sets up a major legal and political debate over the role of executive clemency, the death penalty and the state’s responsibility to victims’ families. The California Supreme Court’s review will determine how many of the proposed commutations can move forward.
