California Governor Commutes All 548 Death Sentences in Largest US Death-Row Clearing
California Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted all 548 death sentences in the state to life without parole, the largest clearing of a US death row in modern history.
The update
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday commuted the death sentences of all 548 people on the state’s death row, converting them to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In a letter to Californians, Newsom said he acted because he firmly believes that “state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values.” Because the state constitution requires California Supreme Court approval to grant clemency to anyone convicted of a felony more than once, the court must still approve 382 of the commutations, roughly 70%, according to the governor’s office.
Why it matters
It is the largest clearing of a death row in modern US history, and it means none of the 548 can be executed by a future governor. California has not carried out an execution since 2006, and Newsom halted executions in 2019, so the move is partly symbolic — but it ends decades of litigation over the country’s largest death row and could save millions a year in court costs. It comes in Newsom’s final months in office, days after a failed execution in Tennessee renewed scrutiny of capital punishment.
What to watch
Whether the California Supreme Court approves the 382 commutations that require its sign-off, and how victims’ families and death-penalty supporters respond — California’s voters chose to keep capital punishment in a 2016 ballot measure. Newsom’s term ends in January, and the decision will feed speculation about his national ambitions.
Sources
- bbc.co.uk — confirms Newsom commuted all 548 death sentences to life in prison and records his stated reasons
- dw.com — confirms the 548 total and that the California Supreme Court must approve 382 of the commutations
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