'Inhumane punishment': Governor Gavin Newsom to commute all 548 California death sentences

France 24 · FRANCE 24 · 2026-11-05 19:59 UTC

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday said he would commute all 548 death sentences in the state to life in prison without parole, marking a major step away from capital punishment as he prepares to leave office after eight years.

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday said he would commute all 548 death sentences in the state to life in prison without parole, marking a major step away from capital punishment as he prepares to leave office after eight years.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said Thursday that he’ll change all death sentences in the state to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Newsom’s decision comes as he prepares to leave office after eight years. In 2019, he placed a moratorium on executions in the state but hundreds of people remain on death row. The current state total amounts to 548 people on death row.

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