No, Newsom’s Death Penalty Change Won’t Set Murderers Loose
California Gov. Gavin Newsom made clear that legally binding state parole board rules prevent any inmate whose sentence has already been commuted from getting another commutation.
TL;DR
- Critics claim Gov. Newsom's commutation of 548 death sentences exceeds his authority and could lead to the release of convicted killers.
- Newsom stated that legally binding parole board rules (Title 15, Section 2843 b(6)) prevent inmates whose sentences have already been commuted from receiving another commutation, which is needed for parole eligibility.
- These regulations apply to inmates whose sentences have been commuted, not those originally sentenced to death, according to Newsom.
- Opponents, including police groups and conservatives, argue that Newsom's actions undermine life without parole sentences.
- The Criminal Justice Legal Foundation plans to urge the state Supreme Court to reject the commutations and has filed suit challenging new parole board clemency rules.
- A separate lawsuit argues that California's death penalty law is racist, with higher rates of death sentences for Black and Latino individuals.
- California has not executed an inmate since 2006 due to issues with lethal injection procedures.
- The state Supreme Court has approved Newsom's previous clemency requests, but none involved capital cases.