California governor commutes sentences for state’s 548 death row inmates

California Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted the death sentences of all 548 individuals currently on death row in the state, changing them to life sentences in prison. In a letter, Newsom stated, "We can now let these offenders die in obscurity while we forever remember and honor the victims." The decision to spare the death row inmates is largely symbolic, as California has not executed an inmate since 2006.

However, experts suggest that the move could save millions of dollars in court costs each year. Since voters reinstated the death penalty in 1978, only 13 inmates have been executed in the state. This comes as Newsom, a Democratic leader of the most populous U.S. state, is considered a potential presidential candidate for 2028. Newsom, who is term-limited, is completing his final months in office.

He explained that he is using his constitutional clemency authority to commute the sentences to life without parole, believing that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values and undermines the legal system. Newsom described his decision as a difficult but "righteous action," acknowledging that it will anger and hurt some Californians, but it is ethically and morally the right thing to do.

The commutations will require approval from at least four of seven judges on the California Supreme Court.