California governor Gavin Newsom announced he is replacing every death row sentence in the state with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, affecting 548 inmates.
Newsom said that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California values, noting the move was among the hardest of his career. “I am taking this action because I firmly believe that state-sanctioned killing is inconsistent with California values, undermines the foundations of our legal system, and demeans every one of us,” Newsom wrote, according to [Associated Press via 24chasa.bg].
President condemns decision as catastrophe
United States President Donald Trump condemned the decision as a catastrophe for American justice. Trump claimed the total is 563 inmates and argued that the action spares some of the most brutal killers while leaving victims’ families devastated, according to [Novini SEGA].
State holds largest death row population
California has not executed any inmate since 2006, holding the largest death row population in the Western Hemisphere, according to [Sky News via focus-news.net]. Newsom instituted a formal moratorium on executions in 2019 and ordered the dismantling of the execution chamber at San Quentin State Prison, as noted by [Novini SEGA].
The decision follows reports that the timing was accelerated after the failed execution of Crystal Pike in Tennessee, according to the [New York Times via Breitbart as cited by Novini SEGA]. Citizens previously voted to retain capital punishment during statewide referendums in 2012 and 2016.
Commutation requires judicial review
The commutation does not take effect automatically for all affected inmates. Approximately one-third of the sentences are altered immediately, while the remaining two-thirds require judicial review before becoming final, according to [Novini SEGA].
The state constitution requires approval from the Supreme Court of California for any prisoner convicted of a violent felony more than once, meaning the court must review 382 of the commutations, which is roughly 70 percent of the total, according to [Sky News via focus-news.net].
Frequently asked questions about the commutation
Why did Gavin Newsom issue the commutations before leaving office?
Newsom issued the commutations as he prepares to leave office following eight years in power, pointing to his long-standing opposition to capital punishment and the 2019 execution moratorium he previously established, according to [Sky News via focus-news.net].
How many men and women are on California’s death row?
The state prison system holds 548 inmates awaiting execution, consisting of 529 men and 19 women, according to [Sky News via focus-news.net].
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