Outgoing California governor commutes all 548 death sentences
Newsom's order replaces the death sentences with life without parole, and the state's constitution requires a court review for many of the condemned.
Outgoing California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday commuted all 548 death sentences in the state to life in prison without parole, Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.
In an open letter to Californians, Newsom said "State-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values" and weakens the legal system.
Condemned inmates will remain in prison until they die, he said, because the state cannot morally carry out executions.
The move is the largest mass commutation in US history, more than doubling the number of capital clemencies granted nationwide over the past 50 years, based on data from the Death Penalty Information Center.
Newsom rejected calls to exclude people convicted of serious crimes, arguing that choosing some offenders would create two distinct classes of victims.
The state constitution bars the governor from granting clemency to anyone convicted of multiple felonies without the agreement of at least four California Supreme Court justices, which will bring formal judicial review for a large share of the condemned.
The order does not repeal death penalty laws, so prosecutors can still seek capital sentences in future trials.
Newsom imposed a moratorium on executions in 2019 and dismantled the execution chamber at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center.
Victims' families, prosecutors, former corrections professionals, faith leaders, civil rights advocates and business leaders welcomed the decision, having urged Newsom to take this action.
The California District Attorneys Association had opposed such a move, arguing that blanket clemency overrides voter-approved referendums and denies closure to surviving victims' families.
Newsom's successor takes office on Jan. 4, and Democrat Xavier Becerra won the governor's race in Tuesday's US midterm elections, becoming the state's first Latino governor since 1875.
Outgoing presidents and governors in the US often declare numerous pardons or commutations before leaving office.
