Gov. Gavin Newsom commutes all death sentences in California

(KYMA) - Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) announced Thursday he's commuting all death sentences in California.

Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said it's a step to "end a system that conflicts with human dignity, fairness, and the values enshrined in our Constitution."

Norma Chávez-Peterson, executive director of the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, added, "This isn't about individual cases, it is about addressing a system that is racist, fundamentally flawed, ineffective, and unfixable."

Gov. Newsom's announcement comes amid ongoing legal challenges to California's death penalty system.

Under California law, the governor has the authority to commute death sentences in cases without additional felony convictions.

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