California Gov Newsom commutes death sentences for all 548 people on death row
California Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted the death sentences of all 548 inmates on the state's death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Newsom cited moral objections to state-sanctioned killing as the primary driver for this executive action.
Why it matters
This is a significant policy shift in the most populous U.S. state, potentially influencing the national debate on capital punishment.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Nardine Saad Los Angeles Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein California Governor Gavin Newsom's term in office comes to an end in January California Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted the death sentences of all 548 people on death row in the state, changing them instead to life in prison.
"We can now let these offenders die in obscurity while we forever remember and honour the victims," he said in a letter.
The decision to spare death row inmates is largely symbolic in a state that has not executed an inmate since 2006, though experts say it could save millions of dollars in court costs each year. Only 13 inmates have been executed since voters reinstated the death penalty in 1978.
The decision comes as Newsom, the Democratic leader of the most populous US state, has been discussed as a possible 2028 contender for president.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom Commutes All Death Sentences to Life Imprisonment
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