In the final weeks of his tenure, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is reportedly weighing whether to commute the sentences of all 563 inmates on the state’s death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The potential action has drawn sharp criticism from law enforcement leaders and victims’ advocates, who say it would diminish justice for families of people killed in violent crimes.
“Baby killers, cop killers, spree killers, and serial killers have all found an ally in Gavin Newsom,” Marc Klaas told News Media.
Klaas is the father of Polly Klaas, the 12-year-old girl who was kidnapped and murdered in 1993.
Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks on March 26, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Frazer Harrison/WireImage)
Two months after taking office, Newsom, a Democrat, imposed a moratorium on executions and dismantled the execution chamber at San Quentin State Prison. California has not carried out an execution since 2006.
“Governor Newsom has been clear about his position on the death penalty since his first year in office, when he ordered a moratorium on executions,” a Newsom spokesperson told News Media. “He believes the intentional killing of another person is wrong.”
On a recent episode of his podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom,” the governor discussed the moral considerations guiding his position.
“I have to prepare for my own conscience, my rocking chair test,” he said.
Discussion within Newsom’s circle reportedly intensified after Tennessee’s botched execution of Christa Pike, The New York Times reported. Pike returned to prison after surviving two doses of the execution drug pentobarbital on Sept. 30.
Lt. Sam Robinson calls to open a door at San Quentin State Prison’s death row in San Quentin, Calif., on Aug. 15, 2016. The prison is California’s oldest penitentiary and houses the state’s only death row for men with 700 condemned inmates. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Klaas said a blanket commutation would deprive victims’ families of the punishment recommended by juries and ordered by judges. His daughter’s killer, Richard Allen Davis, remains on death row.
“We have been working within the system. We’ve done everything that’s been asked of us,” Klaas said. “Most of us have attended every day of the trial and waited, oftentimes for decades like we have, watching unsuccessful appeal after unsuccessful appeal.”
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San Quentin State Prison in San Rafael, Calif. Some death row inmates in California’s penal system are granted use of taxpayer-funded tablets. (Scott Strazzante/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
“It’s unbelievable that he would side with the most heinous individuals in our society,” Klaas said, arguing that death row inmates are receiving consideration their victims were never given.
Klaas also recalled a direct confrontation with Newsom.
“He knew full well that Richard Allen Davis had killed my child,” Klaas said. “I tried to argue with him, and he said he doesn’t want to be the guy who executes an innocent man, nor does he want to be the guy executing 30 people a month until they’re all gone — neither of which was ever going to happen.”
California voters have repeatedly expressed support for capital punishment. In 2016, voters rejected Proposition 62, which would have repealed the death penalty, while narrowly approving Proposition 66, a measure designed to speed up the appeals process.
The father of Polly Klaas, Marc Klaas, heavily criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom amid reports that he is considering a mass commutation of the state’s death row inmates. Richard Allen Davis, who was convicted for the 1993 death of Polly Klaas, was sentenced to death by a judge. (Polly Klaas Foundation; AP)
Law enforcement officials and prosecutors across the state have voiced strong opposition to the possible commutations.
“This would be a second major affront to California voters’ decision on the death penalty,” Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said.
In a letter to Newsom, San Luis Obispo District Attorney Dan Dow warned that a blanket commutation would be a “slap in the face” to murder victims and their surviving families.
“Justice is always individualized. It depends on the particular facts and circumstances of each crime, each defendant, and each victim,” Dow wrote. “In our justice system, every victim deserves to be treated equally, fairly, and with dignity and respect. The government of California is ‘We, the People, not one person overruling the voters in every capital case at once.”
Klaas argued that rather than focusing on capital punishment, Newsom should direct his energy toward pressing state issues.
“Governor Newsom should tackle the homeless problem, the highest utility rates in the country, and the highest gas rates in the country,” Klaas said. “Go after the things that actually mean something and benefit everyday people — not the worst individuals in society.”