The state constitution bars commutations of anyone twice convicted of a felony, unless the California Supreme Court recommends it with four justices concurring.
Page A229From§Eachthe morning edition — 6 November 2026
Newsom commutes all death sentences under a constitution barring the worst ones without four judges' sign-off.
As it ran on the front
I want to tell you what I can afford, because it is short and it will not take long. I can afford the bridge toll if I skip the coffee. I can afford what the car needs and not a drop more — the oil, the wiper fluid, not yet the fan belt, which is starting to complain on cold mornings and which I am pretending not to hear. I bring this up only because the governor of California just signed something that cost him nothing to sign, and I keep wondering what it actually costs, and who's supposed to be checking.
I had the wire copy out on the porch Thursday night and I kept going back to it, the way you go back to a drawer you already closed, just to make sure you really did close it. California's governor announced Thursday, November 5th, that he was commuting every death sentence in the state to life in prison — all five hundred and forty-eight of them — and he called capital punishment "morally objectionable." I wrote that phrase down because it's a good sentence and I wanted to get it right. The state hasn't executed anyone in twenty years. These five hundred and forty-eight are, by one paper's count, about a quarter of the death sentences in the whole country. That's not a small drawer to close in one motion.…
…(cont) The Times mentioned, almost in passing, that the governor is considering a run for president. Considering — that's their word, and today it's the only paper using it, so I'll leave it sitting exactly where I found it.
Here's where I went back to the bank — a different errand entirely — standing in that line thinking about signatures. Past a certain amount at my branch, one signature isn't enough; they want a second name on the slip before the money moves. One teller glanced at mine and waved me through. The other two didn't — they wanted the second name first. I'm not telling you this because I have a complaint about my bank. I'm telling you because the state constitution the governor invoked Thursday has a line that works the same way. Is one signature enough there, either?
The New York Post had it Friday: the state constitution bars commuting the sentence of anyone twice convicted of a felony — unless the state supreme court recommends it, with four justices concurring. Prosecutors are already saying that clause covers some of the state's most notorious cases; the Post mentions one specifically, the college-dorm slayings, resurfacing in exactly this conversation. The wire doesn't tell me how many of the five hundred and forty-eight were convicted more than once. It doesn't have to. The clause doesn't ask how many were convicted. It asks whether the justices signed.
I went looking for other governors doing anything like this, just to see if I was noticing a pattern or just noticing arithmetic. On October 20th, Alabama's governor commuted one sentence — one — after years of doubt about a conviction. On October 2nd, Tennessee's governor didn't commute anything; a lethal injection had gone wrong, so he suspended all executions and ordered an inquiry, which is a pause, not a transfer of five hundred and forty-eight files in one afternoon. This one, the Times says, is considering one.
Excuse me — before you go — the order he signed Thursday carries one signature, his own. The clause he invoked to get there needs four signatures he does not have. Were they ever asked for, those four?
“He stands up and says the death penalty's immoral, then signs the order under the one part of the constitution that says he can't do that for the worst cases without four justices signing off. The receipts don't show four signatures anywhere. That's not conscience, that's a press release wearing a constitutional exception as a disguise.”
“The governor's clemency power is broad, that's settled law, and the four-justice requirement is just a safeguard for the toughest cases, basically a formality built into the system for review — wait, did I just call a judicial safeguard a formality? That's not what I meant to say.”
Earlier in this story
- Court excuses fossil fuel companies from paying for climate damage; Washington bills tribes $470 million instead. By Mort · the evening edition, 2 November 2026
- Agency that certified measles eliminated in 2000 won't certify which state its newest death occurred in. By Mort · the morning edition, 22 October 2026
- Alberta rejects Republican-advised secession bid, handing Carney leverage against Trump's trade war. By The Lodgers · the morning edition, 21 October 2026
- Republican operatives advised Alberta's bid to leave Canada, rewarded with more than two-thirds voting to remain. By The Lodgers · the afternoon edition, 20 October 2026
- Trump's trade war aimed at splitting Canada instead delivers Carney a unity vote By Sal · the morning edition, 20 October 2026
- CDC meets six measles deaths in Pennsylvania with one disease detective. By Mort · the morning edition, 17 October 2026
The receipts
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is considering a run for president, called capital punishment morally objectionable. Though California hasn’t executed anyone for 20 years, that represents about a quarter of death sentences nationwide.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said Thursday, November 5, he was commuting all death sentences across the state to life imprisonment, in a move that will affect over 500 prisoners. FRANCE 24's correspondent Wassim Cornet reports.
· Alabama governor commutes sentence of prisoner on death row from the morgue, 20 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike left in ‘critical condition’ as Tennessee halts all executions from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Gavin Newsom’s deference to Kamala Harris is a masterstroke from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· ABC News Issues Correction After Appearing To Quietly Delete Story About Don Jr’s Business Dealings from the morgue, 10 Oct 2026
· ABC News quietly republishes gutted version of story on Trump sons it had deleted without explanation from the morgue, 10 Oct 2026
· GOP senator calls for subpoenaing Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden over their business dealings from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Republican senator calls for Don Jr. and Hunter Biden to be subpoenaed over business dealings from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· GOP Sen. John Curtis calls for Trump Jr., Hunter Biden investigations from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Is Trump’s son-in-law and top negotiator a midterm liability for Republicans? from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· Companies Backed by Trump Sons Have Scored Over $6 Billion in Pentagon Contracts: Analysis from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· Coalition Files Emergency Motion to Stop Trump FCC From Unleashing Media Consolidation Spree from the morgue, 10 Oct 2026
· White House Claims in Court Filing That Press Coverage of Trump Is a 'Privilege,' Not a Right from the morgue, 23 Sep 2026
· 'Dangerous for Democracy': Paramount Merger Opponents File Emergency Motion to Fight Settlement Deal from the morgue, 24 Sep 2026
· Trump-Appointed Judge Orders President to Restore White House Access to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the morgue, 24 Sep 2026
· With Elon Musk’s Return to Washington, Possible Conflicts of Interest Resurface from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Hegseth puts the future of warfare in the hands of major Maga donors from the morgue, 1 Oct 2026
· Pete Hegseth appoints Elon Musk to US taskforce on future of warfare from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· Elon Musk boosts GOP spending advantage with return as 2026 juggernaut from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026
· An Elon Musk insider shares what he found in Washington — and it should terrify you from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Trump Accord Enshrines Light-Touch Regulation of AI from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Trump says tech CEOs signed ‘morally binding’ document to self-regulate artificial intelligence from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· READ IN FULL: Trump and tech leaders’ White House Accord on Super Intelligence from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· Soaring diesel prices take their toll on US farmers in midwest corn belt from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Inflation Could Soon ‘Get a Lot More Painful’ as Trump’s Iran War Drives Diesel Over $6 a Gallon from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· 'Can't Message That Away': GOP Frets as Trump Administration Desperately Spins Record-High Diesel Prices from the morgue, 5 Sep 2026
· 'Trump Did It!': At $5.85 a Gallon, Diesel Price Hits All-Time High in US Thanks to War on Iran from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· States take matters into their own hands to curb record-high diesel prices from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· U.N. experts say U.S. may have committed war crimes with 2 Iran strikes from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Trump Says 'Big Decision' Coming on Whether to 'Annihilate' Iran from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Pentagon No. 3 frustrates senators in closed-door briefing on Iran war, Trump defense strategy from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Senate Democrats, minus Fetterman, urge Hegseth to provide receipt for Iran war costs from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Hegseth on "devastation" to Iran's capabilities from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Trump admits Iran war will not end before midterms from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Iran War Trump Said Would Be Quick Has Now Lasted 6 Months With 'No End In Sight' from the morgue, 28 Aug 2026
· CBO Finds Trump's Iran War Has Already Cost Nearly $40 Billion—And That's a 'Conservative' Estimate from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Tillis supports Hegseth impeachment resolution: 'He needs to go' from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Massie Files Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth for Illegal Iran War, Boat Murders from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Massie launches effort to impeach Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Tillis urges Trump to fire Hegseth over 'inept management' of military from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Tillis renews calls for Hegseth’s firing after Driscoll’s departure: ‘I have never witnessed more inept management’ from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Farmer who voted for Trump says farmers are "all just in survival mode" from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Farmer who voted for Trump says "I can't stay in business" amid rising costs from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Massie says he’s convinced enough Republicans to pass Epstein Files II discharge petition from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Massie names Epstein 'coconspirators,' discusses new Epstein files legislation from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Read Thomas Massie’s eight impeachment charges against Pete Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Fake Republican midterm convention site still redirects to Epstein files from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Trump says he has a ‘big decision’ coming up on Iran: ‘Do I want to go in and annihilate them’ from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Fox News Poll: 71% think Trump administration lacks plan to end Iran war from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Iran recently downed at least 2 American drones, officials say from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Big Oil Stocks Surged Due to Iran War—and New Filings Show How President Trump Cashed In from the morgue, 27 Aug 2026
· Live updates: Energy secretary downplays rising gas prices as US, Iran trade strikes from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· U.S. Strike on Iranian School May Have Been War Crime, U.N. Report Says from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· UN Inquiry Finds US Strike on Minab, Iran That Killed 123 Children Was War Crime from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· UN investigators conclude ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe certain US strikes in Iran were war crimes from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· UN Suspects US War Crimes in Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· US Condemned for 'War Crimes' After Bombing of Wedding Party in Iran from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· US investigating if missile hit Iranian wedding ceremony, killing 4 from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Trump says he has a ‘big decision coming up’ on Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· White House issues explosive response to UN-backed report claiming US committed war crimes against world’s No.1 sponsor of terror, Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Human rights experts: 'Reasonable grounds' to believe US committed war crimes with Iran strikes from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· US Energy Consumers Have Spent $121 Billion Extra Since Trump Launched Iran War: Moody's from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Iran downed at least 2 American drones in recent days, U.S. officials say from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Iran: Account of US Air Force colonel's rescue 'fictional' from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Consumer Burden of Trump Iran War Exceeds $100 Billion as Oil Prices Pass $100 a Barrel from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· 'A Serious and Alarming Threat': US Bombing, Blockade Deepen Iran Medical Crisis from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Consumer Confidence Hits Lowest Level in Months as US Faces 'Trump's Reckless Tariffs and War With Iran' from the morgue, 25 Aug 2026
· U.S. Air Force officer rescued from Iran speaks for the first time to 60 Minutes from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Rep. Thomas Massie forcing vote on Pete Hegseth's impeachment from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Did Johnson Just Adjourn Congress for 7 Weeks to Avoid Massie's Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth? from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Massie saying Johnson is sending the House home early to prevent Hegseth impeachment from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· ‘You’re Elected to Fight and Kill the Other Side’: How Congress Lost Its Way from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Army combat veteran challenging Mike Lawler calls Hegseth national security 'hazard,' backs impeachment from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· Former Air Force secretary says he 'couldn't serve' in Trump administration from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· Former Air Force secretary: Hegseth's Pentagon 'dysfunctional' from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026
· House Republicans split over leaving Washington early for campaign trail from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Since 2025, Trump Made More Stock Trades Than All 535 Congress Members Combined from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Fossil Fuel Advertising Contracts Hit Record High as Big Oil Pockets Billions From Iran War from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· 'How are we gonna get through this?' Many Americans are struggling as prices rise from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Trump's Top Oil Stocks Have Made Him Up to $4.4 Million Richer During Iran War: Analysis from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Gas prices reach Labor Day high amid Iran war from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Trump Hammered Over Iran War That Drove Gas Prices Above $4 Per Gallon Every Day in August for First Time Ever from the morgue, 31 Aug 2026
· Warsh under pressure as Fed weighs rate hike from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Inflation held at 3.4% in August in consumer price index, creating tough choice for Warsh Fed from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.