"On Jan. 17, 2006, California carried out what would turn out to be the last execution in the Golden State in the next two decades. Clarence Ray Allen was put to death at San Quentin State Prison, having been convicted of three counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances for a crime committed in 1980. At the time of his crimes, the murder rate in California was at or near an all-time high."
"He also voiced strong opposition when, during the first Trump presidency, the administration resumed federal executions. But the governor needs to go further: To cement the status of the death penalty as a relic in the Golden State, Newsom should issue a wholesale commutation of the death sentences of the more than 500 people who could face execution if a Republican wins the governorship in 2026."
California's last execution occurred on Jan. 17, 2006, when Clarence Ray Allen was executed for murders committed in 1980. The state then had a high homicide rate and punitive tough-on-crime politics. The state has since learned to live without executions and appears better off. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a formal moratorium in 2019 and criticized the death penalty as a failure that discriminates against the mentally ill and people of color, provides no deterrent, wastes billions, and is irreversible in the event of error. A wholesale commutation of more than 500 death sentences is recommended to secure abolition.
Read at Slate Magazine
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