In a historic move, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has commuted the death sentences of all 548 inmates on the state’s death row, marking one of the largest acts of clemency in American history.
The sweeping decision, announced Thursday, means none of the state’s death row inmates will face execution under their existing sentences. Instead, their sentences have been reduced to life imprisonment.
Newsom defended the decision in an open letter, making clear that he believes the death penalty has no place in a justice system that can make mistakes.
“I take this action because I firmly believe that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values, undermines the foundations of our legal system, and diminishes each of us,” he wrote.
He also pointed to the dangers of executing people in a system that is far from perfect.
“I know we cannot execute people in our imperfect legal system and remain true to our core values, first among them justice and human decency,” Newsom added.
The decision represents a major shift in the state’s approach to capital punishment and delivers a historic reprieve to hundreds of people who had been sentenced to die.
For Newsom, it is also a defining final act as governor, putting his opposition to capital punishment into action on an unprecedented scale.
This is a developing story.
