Newsom plans to commute 548 California death sentences

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on November 5 that he would commute the death sentences of all 548 people on the state’s death row to life without parole. The plan would remove execution as a possible punishment for those prisoners, but it does not take effect in every case unless required court reviews are completed. The governor’s office said 382 of the 548 cases involve people convicted of multiple felonies and require a recommendation from the California Supreme Court. State law requires at least four of the court’s seven justices to recommend clemency in those cases. The other 166 cases do not require that recommendation, according to the governor’s office. Requests that the court has not approved by January 4, 2027, will lapse, the office said. Newsom is due to leave office that day. The sources do not establish how many of the 382 reviews will be completed before the deadline, leaving the effective reach of the plan dependent on the court’s action. Newsom said in an open letter that he acted because he believes state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values and undermines its legal system. He also said he could not distinguish among cases for...