Governor's Commutation of Death Sentences Statewide Prompts Denunciation

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

48% : " Prior to his election to top prosecutor in the county in 2014, Hestrin handled multiple capital punishment cases, and prevailed in all of them.
46% : "The power to repeal the death penalty rests with the Legislature and voters," he said.
43% : "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."
37% : ACLU SoCal Executive Director Chandra Bhatnagar said that "from its inception, California has imposed the death penalty in a racially discriminatory manner, creating a two-tiered system of justice.
31% : Newsom, a long-time opponent of the death penalty, issued an executive order in 2019 placing a moratorium on executions in the state.
27% : Outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday announced his commutation of death sentences for all 548 people on California's Death Row, who will now serve life in prison without the possibility of parole, eliciting a denunciation from Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin.
27% : " Newsom, who will step down on Jan. 4 due to term limits, handing over the reins to Gov.-elect Xavier Becerra, pointed out that his action doesn't abolish the death penalty, only commutes the sentences of those who are currently on Death Row.

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