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 parole. The possible action has drawn sharp criticism from law enforcement leaders and victims’ advocates, who say it would weaken accountability for people convicted of violent crimes.
“Baby killers, cop killers, spree killers, and serial killers have all found an ally in Gavin Newsom,” Marc Klaas told News Outlet.
Klaas is the father of Polly Klaas, a 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 Outlet. “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 personal convictions guiding his position.
“I have to prepare for my own conscience, my rocking chair test,” he said.
The New York Times reported that discussions about a possible commutation gained momentum within Newsom’s circle after Tennessee’s botched execution of Christa Pike. Pike survived two doses of the execution drug pentobarbital on Sept. 30 and is back in prison.
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)
For Klaas, whose daughter’s convicted killer, Richard Allen Davis, remains on death row, a blanket commutation would override sentences imposed by judges and supported by juries.
“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 that was never extended to their victims.
Klaas also recalled a previous direct conversation with Newsom.
“He knew full well that Richard Allen Davis had killed my child,” he 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, they rejected Proposition 62, which would have repealed the death penalty, while narrowly approving Proposition 66, a measure intended 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 California have publicly opposed 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 cautioned that a blanket commutation would be a “slap in the face” to murder victims and surviving family members.
“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 said Newsom should focus less on capital punishment and more on California’s broader problems.
“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.”
