California Gov. Gavin Newsom is reportedly considering commuting the sentences of the state's 563 death row inmates to life in prison without parole, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from victim advocacy groups and law enforcement officials.
Marc Klaas, father of 12-year-old Polly Klaas who was kidnapped and murdered in 1993, expressed strong opposition to the potential decision. "Baby killers, cop killers, spree killers, and serial killers have all found an ally in Gavin Newsom," Klaas told Fox News Digital. He argued that such a move would undermine justice for victims of violent crimes and that the governor should instead focus on issues like homelessness and high utility and gas rates.
Newsom, a Democrat, has previously placed a moratorium on executions and dismantled the execution chamber at San Quentin State Prison. California has not executed an inmate since 2006. A spokesperson for the governor stated that Newsom believes "the intentional killing of another person is wrong," aligning with his stance since his first year in office.
The reports of potential commutations emerged following the botched execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee on September 30, where she reportedly survived two doses of the execution drug pentobarbital. Pike is currently back in prison.
Klaas, whose daughter's killer Richard Allen Davis remains on death row, stated that a blanket commutation would deny families the justice recommended by juries and imposed by judges. "We have been working within the system. We've done everything that's been asked of us," Klaas said, recounting decades of waiting through appeals.
Law enforcement officials statewide have also voiced their opposition. Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes called a potential mass commutation "a second major affront to California voters’ decision on the death penalty." San Luis Obispo District Attorney Dan Dow warned in a letter to Newsom that such a move would be "a slap in the face" to murder victims and their families, emphasizing that justice should be individualized.
California voters have previously affirmed their support for capital punishment. In 2016, voters rejected Proposition 62, which aimed to repeal the death penalty, and narrowly approved Proposition 66 to expedite the appeals process.
