CA Gov. Gavin Newsom grants 37 pardons; 18 commutations
Late last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he pardoned 37 individuals and commuted the sentences of 18 others because “clemency [is] an important part of the criminal justice system that can incentivize accountability and rehabilitation, increase public safety by removing counterproductive barriers to successful reentry, correct unjust results in the legal system, and address the health needs of incarcerated people with high medical risks.”
The 18 individuals whose sentences were commuted are immediately or near-term eligible to apply for parole. Of the 18 convictions, 14 are for murder, and four are for attempted murder. Twelve of the murder defendants were serving life without parole sentences.
Anyone convicted of a crime can apply for a pardon or commutation. Still, the California Constitution prohibits the governor from granting a pardon or commutation to a person convicted of two or more felonies without the state Supreme Court’s approval. If the applicant has no more than one felony, pardon power rests exclusively with the governor. In addition, applicants for a pardon will not even be considered until they have been discharged from probation or parole for at least ten years and have not been charged with criminal activity.
A pardon restores lost civil rights but doesn’t expunge the individual’s record. A commutation reduces an individual’s sentence and makes that person eligible for parole.
Since assuming office in 2019, Newsom has granted 181 pardons, 141 commutations, and 40 reprieves.
