Newsom Commutes Sentences of 548 Inmates on California Death Row
The governor changed the sentences to life without parole, a move critics call offensive while supporters describe as a correction of systemic bias.
By Lauren Foster ·
Governor Gavin Newsom commuted the death sentences of 548 inmates in California, replacing the penalty with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The decision takes effect as the governor prepares to leave office after eight years and positions himself as a likely contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. His office reported that 529 of the released individuals are men and 19 are women.
The clemency package includes several high-profile convicts. Among them is Charles Ng, who was convicted of 11 murders committed with Leonard Lake in a notorious serial killing case. The group also includes Randy Kraft, known as the Scorecard Killer, who was convicted of 16 murders of young men. David Carpenter, convicted of multiple murders and sexual assaults in Northern California, and Joseph Naso, convicted of four murders based on matching initials of the victims, were also granted clemency.
Newsom stated that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values and undermines the legal system. He wrote that he alone bears responsibility for the decision, just as he would have for each execution. The governor cited his belief that the government should not kill its citizens and that capital punishment has historically discriminated against mentally ill individuals and people of color. The state Supreme Court will have the final say in hundreds of these specific cases.
Patricia Wenskunas, founder of the advocacy group Crime Survivors, opposed the move. She described the decision as offensive and outrageous, stating that her heart hurts for the victims and their families. Wenskunas has long argued against the abolition of the death penalty in the state.
The American Civil Liberties Union supported the announcement. Executive Director Anthony Romero said the commutations end a punishment that is racist, error-prone, and inhumane. The organization is currently involved in a legal challenge to California's death penalty statute, alleging it is racially discriminatory and unconstitutional. Newsom's action stands as a major policy shift in his final days as governor.
