Newsom commutes 500+ California death sentences
The gist
California Gov. Gavin Newsom commuted all 548 death row sentences to life without parole.
The move cuts the U.S. death row population by nearly 30%.
How it unfolded
- 2019Shortly after taking office, Newsom issued a moratorium on executions, saying he couldn't be responsible for killing another person.
- Nov 5, 2026Newsom announced he is commuting the death sentences of all 548 people on California's death row to life without the possibility of parole, in an open letter to Californians.
- Nov 5, 2026The commutation applies immediately to about one-third of death row prisoners; the remaining two-thirds must be reviewed by the California Supreme Court under state law for anyone with multiple felony convictions.
Key terms
- commute
- A legal act replacing a convicted person's penalty with a lesser one, in severity or duration, without changing the conviction.
- death row
- A prison area housing inmates awaiting execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death.
- moratorium
- A delay or suspension of an activity or law, often temporary.
Source: Wikipedia