California's district attorneys are vowing to keep seeking the death penalty in new cases, and some are looking for a way to block Gov. Gavin Newsom's commutation of all 548 death sentences in the state before it takes effect. As we reported, Newsom announced Thursday that he would commute every death sentence in California to life without parole, writing in a letter that "state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values."
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer went first. Newsom's commutations are "mercy for the wolves," he said in a statement Thursday, before making the vow: "I, as the elected District Attorney of Orange County, have, and will, continue to pursue the death penalty."
READ MORE AT SOURCE »Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer Issues Statement on Governor Newsom's Commutation of All Death Sentences in California
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SANTA ANA, Calif. - Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer issued the following... pic.twitter.com/xWsH1Y8eby— OCDA Todd Spitzer (@OCDAToddSpitzer) November 5, 2026
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