California Governor Newsom seeks to commute 548 death sentences to life without parole
Governor Gavin Newsom announced a plan to grant clemency to 548 inmates on death row, a move that could cut the national death-row population by about 30 %. The proposal must be approved by the California Supreme Court and has drawn sharp criticism from victims' families and district attorneys.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said he will seek to commute the death sentences of 548 inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, pending approval from the state Supreme Court. In an open letter, Newsom wrote that he believes "state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values, undermines the foundations of our legal system, and diminishes each of us."
The clemency request covers 529 men and 19 women. Under the state constitution, the Supreme Court must approve clemency for any felony convict more than once, meaning it would need to endorse roughly 382 of the cases, about 70 % of the total. The Death Penalty Information Centre noted that, if fully approved, the action would represent the largest mass commutation in U.S. history and would reduce the national death-row population by nearly 30 %.
The announcement has provoked strong reactions. Jess Nichol, sister of Polly Klaas, said, "The system tells survivors that execution matters to our healing. It doesn’t. It’s a distraction from what we actually need." The American Civil Liberties Union welcomed the move, with Executive Director Anthony Romero stating, "These commutations reflect what justice demands: an end to a racist, error-prone, and inhumane punishment that has burdened California for far too long."
Opposition came from victims' advocates and district attorneys. Patricia Wenskunas, founder of the nonprofit Crime Survivors, called the decision "offensive" and "outrageous," while San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow described it as a "sickening abuse of power." The California District Attorneys Association warned that the action disregards the judgments of juries and judges and adds further pain to families of victims.
Newsom, who placed a moratorium on executions in 2019 and is preparing to leave office after eight years, said the decision was among the most difficult of his career because of the impact on crime-victim families. He added that, as governor, he alone bears responsibility for the choice, just as he would for any execution.
Other state leaders have previously granted broad clemency to death-row inmates, including Oregon Governor Kate Brown in 2022 and Colorado Governor Jared Polis in 2020. In 2024, then-President Joe Biden granted clemency to 37 of 40 federal death-row prisoners.