The families of victims of horrific crimes were traumatized not only when their loved ones were attacked and/or killed, but they were emotionally tortured yet again when California Gov. Gavin Newsom commuted the death sentences of 548 Death Row inmates earlier this November. If his executive order stands, that would leave them sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
As RedState’s Jennifer Van Laar reported, voters in the Golden State have repeatedly supported the death penalty and rejected efforts to abolish it. Newsom’s unilateral move is a giant slap in the face to the people and especially to grieving families who had hoped for closure — and justice. See also: Gavin Newsom Just Gave the Finger to Every Family Member of a Crime Victim, but He Doesn't Care.
His administration didn’t even have the decency to notify them in advance; many reported they learned of the devastating news from television reports.
On Thursday, a group of grieving family members, law enforcement personnel, and district attorneys assembled at the state Capitol in Sacramento to express their disgust with the apparently heartless cyborg of a governor.
NOW: Large group of crime victims, family members whose loved ones were murdered, district attorneys, and law enforcement officials are gathering at the California State Capitol to oppose Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to commute the death sentences of all 548 people on… pic.twitter.com/8bg5w6lK1R
— Eytan Wallace (@EytanWallace) November 12, 2026
NOW: Large group of crime victims, family members whose loved ones were murdered, district attorneys, and law enforcement officials are gathering at the California State Capitol to oppose Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to commute the death sentences of all 548 people on California’s death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
They have officially filed a legal challenge in court, arguing Newsom failed to individually review each case and notify prosecutors.
I will have the message from family members in later tweets. They are livid. They say neither the governor nor a member of the Newsom Administration reached out to them before he made his announcement. Those who spoke said they learned about his decision by watching / reading the news.
The testimony from the family members is difficult to watch and heart-rending. Did Newsom think of these people for a second before making his virtue-signaling, cold-blooded maneuver? There was no need to do it — he’d already paused a moratorium on executions shortly after taking office in 2019
🚨 OUTRAGE: Gavin Newsom is moving to spare convicted child rapist and killer Robert Boyd Rhoades from execution.
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) November 12, 2026
Rhoades murdered 8-year-old Michael Lyons.
Now Michael’s mother is speaking out against Newsom’s decision.
Her heartbreaking words deserve to be heard.
WATCH!…
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer warns the governor’s executive action could have even more sinister implications: What if some of these convicted monsters are let out back on the streets? He says it could happen:
NEWSOM UNDER FIRE FOR COMMUTING 548 DEATH SENTENCES, SPARKING FEARS OF FUTURE RELEASES
— Trumpusa1 (@Trumpusa1A1) November 12, 2026
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing fierce backlash for commuting all 548 death sentences to life without parole, including those of child killers and murderers. Prosecutors warn the move… pic.twitter.com/LAdN1MvgRJ
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing fierce backlash for commuting all 548 death sentences to life without parole, including those of child killers and murderers. Prosecutors warn the move could eventually lead to releases, while at least a dozen district attorneys accuse Newsom of overriding juries and voters who repeatedly supported the death penalty. Orange County DA Todd Spitzer warns new parole rules could bring inmates “one step closer” to release.
Newsom’s action won’t get all the inmates off death row automatically: for any offender who’s been convicted of multiple felonies — 382 out of the 548 cases — the California Supreme Court would have to approve their clemencies. Will the justices do the right thing?
Having been a witness to the seemingly purposeful decline of the formerly Golden State under Gov. Hair Gel’s rule, I didn’t think he could sink any lower or get even crueler.
I was wrong.
Editor’s Note: Gavin Newsom wants to turn America into one big version of California - a failed, overtaxed, dystopian nightmare.
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