Newsom moves to commute all 548 California death sentences to life without parole

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday, 5 November, that he will commute the death sentences of all 548 state prisoners awaiting execution to life in prison without parole, per Newsweek and Hindustan Times; the Los Angeles Times says he told the state Supreme Court. This piece is as of the evening of 6 November.

What he did and why

In an open letter to Californians, Newsom wrote that he believes "state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values" (Hindustan Times). The Los Angeles Times says opponents of capital punishment have long argued it is costly, cruel and discriminatory. Newsweek reports that Newsom said distinguishing among offenders for clemency would create two classes of murder victims. The decision comes in his final months as governor, as he considers running for president, per the Los Angeles Times and Hindustan Times.

How many, and what still needs approval

Newsom's office says the 548 prisoners are 529 men and 19 women (Newsweek). The state constitution requires the state Supreme Court's approval to grant clemency to anyone convicted of a felony more than once; Hindustan Times says his office puts that at 382 commutations, roughly 70%. The Los Angeles Times puts it differently: Newsom can commute about 40% of the sentences on his own, and the rest, nearly 60%, need the court. LAist gives a third version: for those convicted of multiple felonies, "nearly 400 prisoners", four of seven judges on the state Supreme Court must sign off. We have not reconciled the figures.

Reactions and background

LAist reports that victims' groups condemned the expected decision before it was announced, and quotes Topo Padilla of Crime Victims United as saying that no one should undo a sentence handed down by a jury and signed off by a judge because of personal beliefs. Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative, who discussed the idea with Newsom on his podcast on 1 October, called the decision a "really important act of moral leadership" (Newsweek). LAist says a legal foundation, the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, pledged to challenge the proposed commutations in the state Supreme Court, and Newsweek and Hindustan Times report criticism from the California District Attorneys Association and a crime survivors' group. Californians voted to uphold the death penalty in 2012 and 2016, Hindustan Times notes. The Los Angeles Times says polls show nationwide support for it remains large.