Governor Gavin Newsom Replaces All California Death Row Sentences With Life Imprisonment
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he will commute every death row sentence in California to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, ВТА reported, citing The Associated Press. The decision impacts 548 inmates currently on death row in the state’s prisons.
Back in 2019, the governor instituted a moratorium halting executions across the state, yet hundreds of condemned prisoners remained on death row.
Governor halts executions citing state values
I am taking this action because I firmly believe that state-sanctioned killing is inconsistent with California’s values, undermines the foundations of our legal system, and demeans every one of us,
Newsom wrote in an official letter, as noted by www.24chasa.bg. Among those awaiting execution are 529 men and 19 women, Фокус reported.
Newsom acknowledged that the decision stands among the hardest in his career, noting it will revive painful memories for the families of crime victims. As governor, I alone bear the responsibility for this decision and its impact, just as I alone would bear the responsibility for any execution,
he stated.
State halts executions since two thousand six
California has carried out the most executions in the Western Hemisphere, though the state has not executed a prisoner since 2006, Фокус reported.
Questions About California Death Row Commutations
How many inmates are currently on death row in California?
There are 548 inmates, consisting of 529 men and 19 women, who have been awaiting the execution of their capital sentences.
Why must the California Supreme Court review certain commutations?
The state constitution mandates that the court must approve clemency for any inmate who has more than one felony conviction, affecting 382 of the 548 total cases.
When was the last execution carried out in the state?
California has not executed a condemned prisoner since 2006, and Governor Newsom enacted a formal moratorium on executions in 2019.
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