U.S. / Other
Newsom commutes all 548 California death sentences
More than half of the commutations still need state Supreme Court approval.
Status: source-checked.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he is commuting all 548 death sentences in the state to life in prison without the possibility of parole, Anadolu Agency reported.
“State-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values, undermines the foundations of our legal system and diminishes each of us,” Newsom wrote in an open letter, according to Straight Arrow News.
More than half of the commutations require approval from the California Supreme Court, and a victims’ rights group plans to sue. Newsom’s successor, Xavier Becerra, has pledged to keep the state’s moratorium on executions.
What we know / what we don't
What we know
- Newsom announced commutations for 548 death sentences.
What we don't know
- Whether the state Supreme Court will approve the commutations that require it is not known.
The source record