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Gavin Newsom’s premeditated attack on the death penalty was an assault on decency and democracy
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
The opinion article argues that Gavin Newsom’s decision to commute the death sentences of all 548 people on California’s Death Row was an abuse of power and a rejection of voters’ choices. It says the move was politically timed and overlooked the interests of victims and their families.
The writer notes that California voters rejected abolishing the death penalty in 2016 and approved a measure to reduce appeals. The article names Randy Kraft, convicted of 16 murders, among those whose sentences were commuted, and says the decision may face legal challenges. It acknowledges principled opposition to capital punishment but portrays Newsom’s action as political manoeuvring linked to a possible presidential campaign.
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In short
- Newsom commuted all 548 California Death Row sentences.
- The opinion piece calls the move politically motivated.
- California voters retained the death penalty in 2016.
How this story developed
- 9 minutes ago The article argues that California Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to commute the death sentences of all 548 people on the state’s Death Row was an abuse of power and a rejection of voters’ decisions to retain capital punishment.
- 14 minutes ago The opinion article argues that Gavin Newsom’s decision to commute the death sentences of all 548 people on California’s Death Row was an abuse of power and a rejection of voters’ choices.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A governor’s clemency power can be defended as a safeguard against irreversible punishment, especially where doubts remain about fairness, consistency or the risk of wrongful conviction. Newsom could argue that commuting sentences to life imprisonment preserves public safety while recognising that voters’ support for capital punishment does not settle every individual case or remove the governor’s constitutional discretion.
The case against
Critics can argue that commuting every death sentence at once overrides distinctions among cases and disregards voters’ repeated decisions to retain capital punishment. They may also contend that such a sweeping decision gives too little weight to victims’ families and public accountability, and that political timing risks making a grave exercise of clemency appear opportunistic.
Explained simply
California has used the death penalty for people convicted of the most serious crimes, but executions have been halted in the state since 2019. The state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, has authority to grant clemency, including changing a death sentence to life in prison.
Voters have considered the death penalty in several ballot measures, including votes in 2016 on whether to abolish it and on speeding up appeals. Those measures reflected public disagreement about punishment, the risk of wrongful convictions and the interests of victims and their families.
The people affected include those on Death Row, people harmed by their crimes and their relatives. Any broad use of clemency can raise questions about the governor’s powers, the role of voters and how criminal sentences should be decided.
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