Governor Newsom Commutes All 548 California Death Sentences as Prosecutors and Police Push Back
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on November 5 that he is commuting the death sentences of all 548 people on the state's death row — 529 men and 19 women — to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the largest mass commutation in U.S. history. In an open letter to Californians, Newsom said he firmly believes state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values and undermines the foundations of the legal system, citing also the risk of wrongful convictions and the high cost of capital punishment.
Newsom imposed a moratorium on executions shortly after taking office in 2019, and California has not executed anyone since 2006. The commutations release no one and make no one eligible for parole, and they do not repeal California's death penalty, which remains available in future cases. About 382 of the prisoners have multiple felony convictions, so under the state constitution their commutations require review by the California Supreme Court before they are final; Newsom has asked the court to issue its recommendation before the end of 2026.
The backlash escalated publicly on November 8. San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas blasted the decision for sidelining victims' families and wiping away decades of work by prosecutors and juries, and said his office will continue to seek the death penalty in eligible murder cases.
Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez also criticized the move on November 8, noting that those commuted include the killers of Riverside Officer Ryan Bonaminio and Detective Charles Jacobs III — and that November 7 marked exactly 16 years since Bonaminio was murdered. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the commutations do not end the death penalty in California, which only the Legislature or the voters can do. The pushback from prosecutors and law enforcement shows the death penalty debate in California is far from settled.
Source: Office of the Governor of California
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：加州州长纽森官方肖像。公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Official portrait of California Governor Gavin Newsom. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
- 2026-10-09Newsom weighs commuting all 563 California death sentences in historic move
- 2026-11-05Newsom to Commute All California Death Sentences to Life Without Parole for All 548 Condemned Prisoners
- 2026-11-05San Bernardino County Sheriff Condemns Newsom's Death Penalty Commutations: 'Disregards the Victims, Their Families, and the Juries'
- 2026-11-06Riverside County DA and Sheriff Blast Death-Row Commutations Covering 87 County Cases
- 2026-11-08Follow-Up: Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez Blasts Death Sentence Commutations, Saying Killers of Two Fallen Riverside Officers Are Among Those Spared
- 2026-11-08Governor Newsom Commutes All 548 California Death Sentences as Prosecutors and Police Push BackThis story
