California Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to commute the death sentences of all 548 inmates on death row in the state to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
The move is the largest clemency action in state history.
The term-limited Democratic governor, who leaves office in January 2027, made the announcement in an open letter to Californians on Nov. 5.
“After nearly 30 years in public office, I have come to understand the limits of what government can justly accomplish,” Newsom said.
“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. 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.”…