California Governor Gavin Newsom Commutes 548 Death Row Sentences
California Gavin Newsom ordered the commutation of death sentences for all 548 inmates on the state’s death row, marking the largest mass commutation of capital punishment in modern American history according to The New York Times. The move shifts the prisoners to life sentences without the possibility of parole. Newsom stated in a press release that the state cannot morally kill them, adding, These offenders will die in prison, but not by our hand.
He called the decision one of the most difficult in his career. The Democrat has long considered pardoning death row inmates in the United States, describing it as a choice he will look back on when he grows old to evaluate whether he lived up to his own standards. He noted that being faithful to core values is measured by how one acts when following them proves difficult.
The decision affects approximately a quarter of all death row inmates in the United States. Newsom stated in an open letter that state-approved killings are incompatible with the state’s values and undermine the justice system.
Immediate Reactions from Families of Victims
The decision drew sharp criticism from victims’ families. Marc Klaas, whose 12-year-old daughter Polly Klaas was kidnapped and murdered in 1993, voiced strong opposition to the governor’s action in reporting by The New York Times. Richard Allen Davis, the man convicted of killing Polly Klaas, is among the inmates whose death sentences were changed to life without parole. Davis was sentenced to death in 1996. Critics argue that the pardons show a lack of respect for the victims, the sentences handed down to the criminals, and the American justice system, while opponents warn that a mass commutation overrules voters’ previous decisions and disregards victims and their relatives. Supporters point to the risk of wrongful convictions, discrimination, and the high costs of maintaining the death penalty system. Newsom noted that the actions of those on death row have caused inhuman suffering that will follow people through generations.
It brings back those horrific feelings,
Klaas said to The New York Times, describing feelings of hurt and anger. More than half of the affected sentences require review by the California Supreme Court because they involve inmates convicted across multiple criminal cases. Newsom can independently commute the sentences for roughly 40 percent of the condemned individuals, but he requires a court ruling to alter 60 percent of the death penalties. Several opponents have announced plans to file lawsuits.
Financial and Legal Background of Capital Punishment
The sweeping decision comes just two months before Newsom leaves office in January 2027. Capital punishment remains legal in California, meaning judges can still hand down new death sentences. Newsom has served two consecutive terms as governor and cannot run again. The Democrat is also discussed as a potential presidential candidate in the 2028 election, making the politically sensitive issue of capital punishment a factor that could influence debates surrounding his political future, even though the move carries political risks and does not necessarily win him broad political support. Removing inmates from death row can render many appeals unnecessary. When Newsom became governor in 2019, he instituted a temporary moratorium on the death penalty in the United States and aimed to dismantle the death chamber at San Quentin prison.
Operating the death penalty system has cost billions of dollars over the decades. When Newsom halted executions in 2019, his office reported that the state had spent roughly five billion dollars on the system since 1978 while executing only 13 individuals during that period, according to figures from Newsom’s office. LA Times noted that processing automatic appeals previously cost the state approximately 200 million dollars annually.
Questions About the Future of California Death Sentences
- How many executions has California carried out since 1978? The state has executed 13 individuals since reinstating capital punishment in 1978, with no executions taking place since 2006, according to LA Times.
- Who takes over the governorship after Newsom? Xavier Becerra is set to become the state’s first Latino governor when Newsom steps down in January 2027.
- Will future judges still be able to sentence criminals to death? Capital punishment remains legal in California, leaving open the possibility that new individuals can receive death sentences despite the mass commutation.
More on Polly Klaas
Related reading