US News

Victims' families criticize Newsom over mass death row commutations in California

NBC News reports California murder victims' relatives condemned Gov. Gavin Newsom's move to commute more than 500 death sentences.

Published Nov 13, 2026 · 03:12 UTC1 reports

The short version

Relatives of California murder victims publicly criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom after he moved to commute more than 500 death sentences.[NBC News]
Newsom would need California Supreme Court consent for 382 of the 548 condemned inmates to move them to life without parole.[NBC News]
Orange County DA Todd Spitzer alleges procedural shortcuts could free killers, while a law professor calls such releases very unlikely.[NBC News]

Gov. Gavin Newsom moved to commute the death sentences of more than 500 condemned inmates.[NBC News]
Newsom would need the consent of the California Supreme Court on 382 of the 548 condemned inmates to move them to life without the possibility of parole.[NBC News]
Faye Jenkins, whose daughter and son-in-law were murdered in 2008, said California voters back capital punishment and Newsom should not have intervened.[NBC News]
Orange County DA Todd Spitzer insisted there are procedural shortcuts around life without parole that could put these killers back on the street.[NBC News]
Loyola Marymount University law professor Stan Goldman stated that it is very unlikely someone with a life without parole sentence will be released.[NBC News]

The reporting does not say whether the California Supreme Court will consent to the 382 commutations.[NBC News]
Spitzer's claim that procedural shortcuts could lead to releases is disputed by Stan Goldman, so the release risk remains contested.[NBC News]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.