California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced plans to commute the death sentences of all 548 prisoners currently on the state's death row, including individuals convicted of some of America's most notorious murders.
The sweeping decision, announced on November 5, 2026, would replace capital punishment with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
While the prisoners would remain behind bars for the rest of their lives, they would no longer face execution if their sentences are successfully commuted.
However, the proposal has sparked controversy, particularly over the identities of several prisoners who could be affected.
Which notorious criminals could be spared execution?
Among those affected are Charles Ng, Richard Allen Davis and Christopher Cheary, whose crimes involved multiple murders, child abduction and severe violence against children.
The cases have attracted national attention over several decades and remain deeply painful for the victims' families.
Charles Ng: The serial killer convicted of 11 murders
Charles Ng was convicted of murdering 11 people in Northern California during the 1980s.
Working alongside Leonard Lake, Ng participated in a series of crimes involving the abduction, imprisonment and murder of victims at a remote property in Calaveras County.
His victims included six men, three women and two infant boys.
Investigators uncovered evidence of horrific abuse after the crimes came to light in 1985.
Ng fled to Canada but was eventually extradited to the United States, where he faced trial.
He was sentenced to death in 1999.
Under Newsom's proposed commutations, his punishment would become life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Richard Allen Davis: The murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas
Richard Allen Davis was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas in 1993.
Polly was attending a sleepover at her home in Petaluma, California, when Davis abducted her.
Her disappearance prompted an extensive search and attracted national media coverage.
Her body was eventually discovered after Davis led investigators to the location.
The case became one of the most widely publicised child murder investigations of the decade and contributed to changes in California's sentencing laws.
Davis was convicted and sentenced to death in 1996.
Newsom's decision has prompted differing reactions among Polly's surviving relatives.
Her sisters have expressed opposition to capital punishment, while her father, Marc Klaas, has previously criticised Newsom's approach to executions.
Christopher Cheary: The murder of three-year-old Sophia Acosta
Christopher Cheary was sentenced to death following the murder of three-year-old Sophia Acosta in Tulare County.
Cheary was convicted of sexually assaulting, torturing and murdering his girlfriend's young daughter.
The case involved extensive evidence of abuse and resulted in a capital murder conviction.
His death sentence is among those affected by Newsom's proposed changes.
If the commutation is finalised, Cheary would remain imprisoned for life without the possibility of parole.
Why is Gavin Newsom commuting death sentences?
Newsom has long opposed capital punishment and introduced a moratorium on executions shortly after becoming California's governor in 2019.
In an open letter announcing the latest decision, he argued that the death penalty was incompatible with the state's values and its commitment to justice.
He also raised concerns about wrongful convictions, racial disparities and the possibility of irreversible mistakes within the criminal justice system.
The governor acknowledged that his decision could cause considerable distress to families who had lost loved ones to violent crimes.
However, he maintained that the state should not carry out executions, even for those convicted of the most serious offences.
Will all 548 death sentences automatically be overturned?
No. Although Newsom has moved to commute all 548 sentences, 382 cases require approval from the California Supreme Court.
California's constitution requires judicial approval for certain clemency decisions involving prisoners with multiple felony convictions.
That means approximately 70 percent of the proposed commutations cannot be finalised by the governor acting alone.
The court must review the relevant cases before those sentence changes can take effect.
Even if every commutation is approved, the prisoners will not be released.
Instead, their sentences would be converted to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
When was the last execution in California?
California has not carried out an execution since 2006.
Although the death penalty remains part of state law, Newsom's 2019 moratorium halted executions during his administration.
The state's execution chamber was subsequently dismantled, and many condemned prisoners were transferred to other facilities.
California voters previously rejected ballot initiatives to abolish capital punishment in 2012 and 2016.
Newsom's commutations would not formally repeal the death penalty or prevent prosecutors from seeking death sentences in future cases.
How have victims' families responded?
The announcement has produced sharply differing reactions.
Some victims' relatives and prosecutors argue that replacing death sentences undermines decisions reached by juries and courts.
Others, including some families directly affected by notorious murder cases, oppose executions and believe life imprisonment is a more appropriate punishment.
Organisations such as the American Civil Liberties Union have welcomed the decision, arguing that capital punishment is vulnerable to discrimination and wrongful convictions.
Newsom has acknowledged these competing perspectives, describing the decision as one of the most difficult of his political career.
What happens next?
The California Supreme Court must consider the hundreds of commutations requiring its approval.
If all the proposed changes are finalised, California's death row would effectively be eliminated for existing prisoners, although the death penalty would remain legally available for future convictions.
For prisoners such as Ng, Davis and Cheary, the outcome could mean the difference between a death sentence and spending the remainder of their lives in prison.
For victims' families, the decision has reopened painful discussions about punishment, justice and the role of capital punishment in the United States.
Sources: Los Angeles Times, November 5, 2026; Associated Press, November 5, 2026; CalMatters, November 5, 2026; VT, November 6, 2026.
