Crimeupdated 1h ago2 min read
Gavin Newsom Commutes All 548 California Death Sentences to Life Without Parole
“The decision to spare death row inmates is largely symbolic”
“It is a monumental move in the history of capital punishment in America”
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548 death-row inmates commuted to life without parole. Largest mass clemency in American history.
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Newsom clears death row
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he will commute all 548 death sentences in the state to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Newsom explained that he is exercising his constitutional clemency authority to commute the sentences to life without the possibility of parole, and the California Supreme Court's approval is required to grant clemency to anyone convicted of a felony more than once.
Newsom said the decision comes as he prepares to leave office after eight years, and the BBC reported that Fellow Democrat Xavier Becerra is projected to take over after the midterm elections on Tuesday.
Newsom also said, "As Governor, I alone bear responsibility for this decision and its impact, just as I alone would bear responsibility for each execution," in the same letter.
The commutations convert California's death sentences into a punishment that the BBC described as life without the possibility of parole, and the BBC said the state has not executed a prisoner since 2006.
Courts and political fallout
Newsom's commutations would need court approval for those convicted of multiple felonies, and nearly 400 prisoners fall into that category. Four of seven judges on the California Supreme Court would have to sign off on the commutations for those nearly 400 prisoners. Newsom told that those with commuted sentences would not be eligible for new Board of Parole Hearings commutation and resentencing regulations, addressing concerns prosecutors, victims' groups and supporters of the death penalty had expressed.
Crime Victims United president Topo Padilla said, "I don’t think he or any person should undo the sentence rendered by a jury and signed off by a judge because of his personal beliefs or feelings," as victims rights advocates criticized the decision. CalMatters said Newsom's commutations would need court approval for those convicted of multiple felonies, and it said nearly 400 prisoners fall into that category.
Who is affected next
Newsom's commutation affects the lives of 548 people on California's death row, and the BBC said the decision is largely symbolic in a state that has not executed a prisoner since 2006.
Newsom's mass commutation ensures the death sentences can never be executed under future administrations, and it converts all of the state's death sentences to life without the possibility of parole.
Newsom's office said of the 548 people sentenced to death, 220 had waited 15 years or more to be appointed habeas counsel, and it said 139 had waited 20 years or more for representation.
Newsom's office noted that if there were no moratorium in place, there are 45 people in the state who are considered to have exhausted their appeals and would be immediately subject to execution.
The ACLU praised the announcement, and CNN quoted Anthony D. Romero saying, "These commutations reflect what justice demands: an end to a racist, error-prone, and inhumane punishment that has burdened California for far too long."