The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, decided to abolish the death penalty in his state and commute the death sentences of 548 criminals as one of his last acts before leaving office. The radical Democrat had already imposed an executive moratorium on capital executions in 2019.
But this Thursday, Newsom went much further and issued a massive clemency order, commuting the sentences of the 548 people who were currently on death row in California. "I have decided to exercise my constitutional authority of clemency to commute all death sentences in California to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole," the politician said.
Newsom can only grant clemency for convictions of a single felony, which represents about 40% of death sentences in California. The remaining convictions require the approval of four justices of the state Supreme Court.
"I take this action because I firmly believe that state-sanctioned murder is incompatible with California's values, undermines the foundations of our legal system, and diminishes each of us. I know we cannot execute people in our imperfect legal system and remain true to our core values, among which the first is justice and human decency," he added.
Thirteen death row inmates have been executed in California since 1978. Among those benefiting from this measure by Newsom are murderers like Randy Kraft, who killed 16 people and is suspected of having committed at least another 51 murders.
Other criminals like Richard Allen Davis, who was sentenced to death in 1972 for the kidnapping and subsequent death of a 12-year-old girl, or Joseph Naso, who murdered four women and for whom a jury had recommended execution in 2013 after a lengthy legal process, will also benefit from this measure.
The Trump opponent sounds like a candidate for the Democratic Party for the 2028 presidential elections.
Newsom abolished the death penalty in California and spared the lives of 548 murderers and rapists before leaving office.
"The voters of California have voted to maintain the death penalty in legislation, and I respect that," Newsom wrote. "But the Constitution also granted each governor the authority of clemency, and that power exists for moments when the law applied cannot be equated with justice. For me, this is that moment."
