California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he'll commute all death row sentences to life in prison

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he is using his constitutional clemency authority to commute all 548 death sentences in the state to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In an open letter, Newsom stated that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values, undermines the legal system, and diminishes the population. He noted that the decision was among the most difficult of his career because it will bring up painful memories for the families of crime victims.

The move does not repeal the death penalty or prevent prosecutors, juries, and courts from seeking it in future cases, according to CBS News. While Newsom imposed a moratorium on executions in 2019, California has not carried out an execution since 2006.

PBS NewsHour reports that Newsom is making this decision as he prepares to leave office after eight years. The governor's decision follows various attempts by California voters to address capital punishment, including a rejected 2016 ballot measure to repeal the death penalty. Le Monde English noted that California currently holds one of the largest death row populations in the world.

Brief written by urgent.news from CBC News, Le Monde English, RTE News, CBS News, PBS NewsHour — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.