California governor replaces all death row sentences with life in prison

UPDATE - follow-up to California governor commutes death sentences for all 548 people on death row: California Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted the death sentences of all 548 inmates on the state's death row, changing their punishment to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The Decision And Context

Newsom stated in a letter that state-sanctioned killing is against California values and that the state system is a failure. The move is largely symbolic because California has not executed anyone since 2006 and only 13 people have been put to death since voters brought back the death penalty in 1978. Experts note the change could save millions of dollars in court costs annually. Newsom previously ordered a halt to executions in 2019. Under the state constitution, at least four of the seven California Supreme Court judges must approve the commutations for the nearly 400 prisoners who were convicted of multiple felonies.

Reactions And Federal Stance

Anthony D Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, praised the action and called the punishment racist and error-prone. Conversely, US President Donald Trump supports the death penalty and reinstated it at the federal level after taking office in 2025. The decision by Newsom also follows a high-profile botched execution in Tennessee in late September while executions rise across the nation.

Context

Governors in the United States hold wide authority over state-level prosecutions and clemency powers. California has historically maintained the largest death row population in the country. The death penalty remains legal in 27 US states while being abolished in 23 states and Washington DC.