California’s governor says commuting all death sentences in the state
Around 548 inmates were on death row in the US state, which has not executed anyone in 20 years.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that all death sentences across the state will be commuted to life imprisonment, affecting over 500 prisoners. Newsom, who is expected to run for President in 2028, stated that capital punishment goes against the values of the most populous state in the US. He wrote in a letter to Californians that "individually and collectively we are stronger as a society when we reject state-sanctioned killing."
The state of California has not carried out a death sentence in over two decades, despite continuing to impose the penalty for murder and other serious crimes. Some Californians believe that those who commit brutal crimes should be killed, but Newsom believes the state cannot morally kill them. The decision to commute the death sentences was among the most difficult of Newsom's career.
He hopes that this action will separate the memories of crime victims from those who committed the crimes. The move comes as the US death penalty faces renewed scrutiny, with several high-profile cases drawing international attention.
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- California’s governor says commuting all death sentences in the state freemalaysiatoday.com
