California governor commutes all 548 death sentences to life without parole
Governor Gavin Newsom announced on 5 Nov that he will commute the death sentences of all 548 inmates on California’s death row to life imprisonment without parole. The California Supreme Court must approve 382 of the commutations because those prisoners have multiple felony convictions. Newsom’s decision follows a moratorium on executions he declared in March 2019, and the state has not carried out an execution since 2006. The move affects the nation’s largest death‑row population and comes as Newsom nears the end of his second term.
Key facts
- 382 commutations require California Supreme Court approval due to multiple felony convictions.
- California voters upheld the death penalty in 2012 and 2016 ballot measures.
- The American Civil Liberties Union praised the commutation announcement.
- Newsom, a Democrat, is expected to seek the 2028 presidential nomination.
- The decision comes as Newsom approaches the end of his second and final term as governor.
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Why it matters
It ends the use of capital punishment in the United States' largest death‑row cohort.
What changed
First published from The Guardian, The Independent, BBC News, DW and RTÉ News