ACLU Applauds Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Historic Commutation of All Death Sentences in California

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced today that he was moving to commute all death sentences in California, marking a historic step towards ending the death penalty in California and across the country.

The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Southern California, ACLU of Northern California, ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, and ACLU California Action joined the hundreds of organizations and individuals urging the Gov. Newsom to take this necessary step to address the persistent and systemic flaws with the death penalty in California.

Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, issued the following statement:

“Today, Gov. Newsom made history by announcing his intention to commute every death sentence in California and clear the largest death row in the nation. In doing so, he honored his commitment to end a system that conflicts with human dignity, fairness, and the values enshrined in our Constitution.

“These commutations reflect what justice demands: an end to a racist, error-prone, and inhumane punishment that has burdened California for far too long. By taking this step, Gov. Newsom has affirmed that the death penalty has no place in California and he showed real courage by confronting racialized injustice head-on.

“The evidence against the death penalty has been overwhelming for decades. As the ACLU and allies have documented in courts across the country, a person’s risk of execution is predictable, but for all the wrong reasons: race, geography, and politics. Such profound, systemic injustice demands a systemic response. Today, California comes closer to closing the chapter on a cruel and morally and legally corrupt practice and sets a powerful example for others to follow.”

Gov. Newsom’s announcement comes amid ongoing legal challenges to California’s death penalty system. In April 2024, the ACLU, alongside the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Office of the State Public Defender, brought a lawsuit challenging the state’s death penalty statute as racially discriminatory and unconstitutional under the Equal Protection guarantees of the California Constitution.

The evidence presented in that lawsuit revealed pervasive racial bias in California’s implementation of the death penalty. Black people are up to eight times more likely to be sentenced to death when compared to similarly situated non-Black defendants, while Latino people are at least six times more likely to be sentenced to death.

Under California law, the governor has the unilateral authority to commute death sentences in cases without additional felony convictions. For cases involving additional felony convictions, the governor’s commutation request now goes to the California Supreme Court for review and approval.

Additional statements below are from ACLU affiliates in California:

Abdi Soltani, executive director of the ACLU of Northern California:

“The death penalty has no place in California – or any society that values justice, fairness, and human rights. Our organization has fought for decades against this antiquated, inhumane system, and we applaud the governor for taking bold action to end it.”

Chandra Bhatnagar, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California:

“From its inception, California has imposed the death penalty in a racially discriminatory manner, creating a two-tiered system of justice. With this historic act of clemency, the state can turn the page — rejecting a broken, biased system and embracing a more just and equitable future for all.”

Norma Chávez-Peterson, executive director of the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties:

“Systemic injustices call for systemic solutions. By granting universal clemency to all people with death sentences in California, Governor Newsom has joined a chorus of leaders nationwide who have rejected the death penalty and recognized it as a failed and unjust experiment. This isn’t about individual cases, it is about addressing a system that is racist, fundamentally flawed, ineffective, and unfixable.”