“I have decided to exercise my constitutional authority to grant clemency by commuting all death sentences in California to life in prison without the possibility of parole,” he wrote in an open letter addressed “to all Californians.”
Seven years ago, Newsom imposed a moratorium on executions in the state. There are now 548 people on death row in California.
“I am taking this action because I believe that state-sanctioned executions are incompatible with California’s values, undermine the foundation of our justice system, and diminish each of us,” Newsom wrote.
The state constitution also requires approval from the California Supreme Court to grant clemency to a person convicted of a serious crime more than once.
Newsom said the decision was one of his most difficult, as it will bring back painful memories for the victims’ families.
“As governor, I bear sole responsibility for this decision and its consequences, just as I would bear sole responsibility for each individual execution,” Newsom wrote.
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