- 1Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday he will commute all California death sentences to life without parole, per PBS News.
- 2PBS News reports 548 people are on California's death row.
- 3Newsom placed a moratorium on executions in 2019, according to PBS News.
- 4DW, citing Newsom's office, says the California Supreme Court must approve 382 of the commutations, roughly 70%.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday he will commute all California death sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to PBS News, citing the Associated Press. The state's death row currently holds 548 people, PBS News and DW report.
The order would change the sentences of everyone on California's death row, according to the sources. Whether the state Supreme Court must approve part of it is described differently across reports.
In Brief
- Newsom announced the decision in an open letter, the Washington Examiner reports.
- He placed a moratorium on executions in 2019, according to PBS News.
- The Washington Examiner reports the action does not repeal the death penalty; that authority rests with the legislature.
- The Washington Examiner reports California last carried out an execution on Jan. 17, 2006.
I take this action because I firmly believe that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values.
Reactions and open questions
The American Civil Liberties Union applauded the announcement, PBS News reports. Fox News reports that Marc Klaas, whose daughter Polly Klaas was murdered, has called a potential commutation plan a betrayal of crime victims and voters.
How the court approval will play out is not yet known. PBS News says the state constitution requires California Supreme Court approval to grant clemency to anyone convicted of a felony more than once. DW, citing numbers from Newsom's office, says the California Supreme Court would have to approve 382 of the commutations, roughly 70%.
- People on California's death row
- 548
- Date of the state's last execution
- Jan. 17, 2006
- Commutations needing California Supreme Court approval, per Newsom's office via DW
- 382 (about 70%)
Sources
PBS News (AP), Washington Examiner, DW and Fox News.
Source
PBS NewsSource
Washington ExaminerSource
DWSource
Fox NewsReported from 4 published sources (PBS News, Washington Examiner, dw.com, Fox News). Facts, figures and quotes come only from those sources. Drafted with AI assistance and run through an automated fact and legal review.
- Newsom says he will commute all 548 of California's death sentences to life without parole · PBS News
- Newsom commutes executions for all 548 California inmates on death row · Washington Examiner
- Gavin Newsom commutes sentences of all death row inmates in California · dw.com
- Gavin Newsom wipes out California's death row in historic mass commutation · Fox News
As the founding editor of Oppositioner, Alex Carter leads the platform’s investigative vision. With a background in political journalism and a relentless focus on exposing global power dynamics, Carter explores how authoritarian regimes manipulate narratives, weaponize technology, and undermine democratic structures. His work is grounded in uncovering state-sponsored disinformation and censorship.
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