Newsom death sentences plan: Trump calls commutation of 548 death row terms ‘a disaster for justice’
Newsom has asked the California Supreme Court to act by the end of the year, before he leaves office in January.
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The Newsom death sentences plan drew a presidential attack on Saturday, when Donald Trump criticised California Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal to commute every death sentence in the state to life without parole. Trump wrote on Truth Social that the move “is a disaster for Justice in America”, The National News Desk reported.
What Trump said about the Newsom death sentences
Trump described the inmates as “some of the worst cold blooded murderers to have ever lived on the face of the Earth” and used a derisive nickname for the governor in the post. Newsweek said he argued the decision disregarded victims’ families and stopped the legal process from running its course. It also noted that the 563 figure he cited does not match the 548 sentences Newsom’s office has identified.
What Newsom proposed: life without parole
Newsom announced on 5 November that he intends to commute the death sentences of 548 people to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, according to Newsweek. He described it as “the most severe punishment I can lawfully impose and the state of California can ethically enforce”. He added: “These offenders will die in prison but not by our hand.” His office also published a fact sheet on the clemency action.
The plan would not repeal the death penalty, which remains authorised under California law, according to The National News Desk. It follows a 2019 executive order that imposed a moratorium on executions and closed San Quentin’s execution chamber.
How the California Supreme Court enters the process
Under the California Constitution, a governor must obtain a recommendation from at least four justices of the state’s Supreme Court before granting clemency to anyone with more than one felony conviction. That requirement applies to 382 of the 548 people, Newsweek said. Newsom has asked the court to act by the end of this year so he can complete the process before leaving office in January.
If the court approves, Newsweek reported, it would be the largest mass commutation of death sentences in US history and would reduce the national death-row population by nearly 30 per cent.
Reaction to the Newsom death sentences plan from prosecutors and the Justice Department
The Criminal Justice Legal Foundation held a press conference on Thursday with victims’ families and prosecutors and said it plans to file “every legal challenge available” before the court. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said: “We stand firmly with the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation in challenging this arbitrary commutation that sidelines victims’ families and disregards the will of California voters, juries and judges.”
US Attorney General Todd Blanche criticised Newsom’s decision at a Justice Department briefing on Thursday. He compared it to former President Joe Biden’s 23 December 2024 commutation of 37 of the 40 federal death-row inmates. Newsweek said the clemency plan has drawn mixed reactions from victims’ relatives, with some supporting the end of death sentences and others opposing it.
Key numbers
- 548: sentences Newsom plans to commute, per Newsweek.
- 563: the number of California Death Row inmates Trump cited, which does not match Newsom’s list.
- 382: sentences that also need four Supreme Court justices’ recommendation, per Newsweek.
- 37 of 40: federal death-row sentences Biden commuted in December 2024, as cited by Blanche.
- 2006: the last year California carried out an execution, per Newsweek.
What happens next
The Newsom death sentences plan now waits on the California Supreme Court, which Newsom has asked to act by the end of the year. The Criminal Justice Legal Foundation and Los Angeles County prosecutors plan to challenge it there. Newsweek said it had asked Newsom’s office for comment on Trump’s post, and the reports reviewed carry no reply.
If the California Supreme Court approves, it would be the largest mass commutation of death sentences in US history. A recommendation from four justices is needed for 382 of the 548 cases, so the court holds the key. Trump's attack and a prosecutors' challenge turn the plan into a fight that Newsom wants settled before January.