Newsom commutes 548 death row sentences, drawing fierce criticism from California prosecutors

District attorneys and law enforcement unions across California have publicly condemned Gov. Gavin Newsom following his announcement to commute the sentences of 548 death row inmates.

San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow accused Gov. Newsom of ignoring crime victims and violating the will of California voters.

Newsom's sweeping order commutes the condemned inmates to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The decision has drawn intense criticism alongside praise from anti-death penalty advocates.

"I think it's all about politics, sadly. Politics is over people in this case, and that's a real sad state of affairs," Dan Dow told Fox News Digital.

In an open letter detailing his decision, Newsom said California's capital punishment system is fundamentally at odds with the state's principles. He wrote: "After nearly 30 years in public office, I have come to understand the limits of what government can justly accomplish. I take this action because I firmly believe that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values, undermines the foundations of our legal system, and diminishes each of us."

Upon taking office in 2019, Newsom issued an executive moratorium on capital punishment. California has not carried out an execution since 2006.

The backlash to the governor's announcement was immediate. "Justice will not have been served for these victims, dozens of them in San Diego County," said Lt. Jared Wilson, president of the San Diego Police Officers Association. "Their last memories were of these evil, evil men who took their lives. What Gavin Newsom has done is awful."

Law enforcement officials cited cases like that of Jesse Michael Gomez, who was sentenced to death for the 2016 murder of San Diego police officer Jonathan "J.D." De Guzman.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said: "Californians have been asked on two separate ballot initiatives to abolish the death penalty, and both times they have chosen to keep it for the most serious crimes. Until the law is changed, my office will continue to evaluate every death penalty-eligible case with the rigor, care, and restraint these decisions demand."

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer called the commutations "mercy for the wolves … while inflicting the ultimate act of cruelty on the sheep," saying voters in California have upheld the death penalty in recent years.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who previously ran for governor, noted that 127 inmates on California's death row were sentenced for crimes committed in his county. He said: "These sentences were not handed down without due process. They followed extensive investigations, lengthy trials, evidence presented in court, and decisions made by juries and judges. Yet, with one sweeping executive decision, the governor has chosen to override those outcomes, disregarding the voices of victims' families, the work of prosecutors, and the pursuit of justice that took years to achieve."

Bianco and many other law enforcement officials believe the decision wipes out years of judicial process with a single stroke of the pen.