John Marshall

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐨 𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝟓𝟒𝟖 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐧𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to commute the death sentences of all 548 inmates on California’s death row is deeply troubling and a dangerous disregard for public safety, the victims of these horrific crimes, and the will of California voters. These are not ordinary criminal cases. These are some of the most egregious murders in our state’s history. The individuals sentenced to death were convicted through our judicial system, tried before juries of their peers, and sentenced after the facts and circumstances of their crimes were presented in court. In many cases, those verdicts came after years of legal proceedings and appeals. This decision also disregards the voices of Californians. Voters have twice rejected efforts to repeal the death penalty, including in 2016, when 53.15% voted against Proposition 62. In that same election, voters approved Proposition 66, a measure intended to expedite the legal process in death penalty cases. During his 2016 campaign Newsom said, “My position has always been, if ever I was in a position to actually be accountable, that I would be accountable to the will of the voters. I would not get my personal opinions in the way of the public’s right to make a determination of where they want to take us as it relates to the death penalty.” I would ask the governor to honor those words. Here in Placer County, we know firsthand the horrific nature of some of these crimes. The man who murdered Placer County Sheriff’s Detective Michael Davis Jr. also murdered Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Danny Oliver. A jury convicted him and recommended the death penalty. In 1998, four members of a family were murdered at an Auburn-area ranch, including a three-year-old girl and her five-year-old brother. The children were bludgeoned unconscious and buried alive alongside their father and uncle. Their killer was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. In another case, two young women, ages 18 and 15, disappeared in Placer County in 1986. Their bodies were later discovered in separate rural locations. Their killer was convicted of both murders and sentenced to death. That sentence was subsequently upheld by the California Supreme Court. These are real victims. They were someone’s children, parents, siblings and loved ones. Their families have endured unimaginable loss, and this decision is another painful reminder that their voices can be overlooked in a political process. Our responsibility is to stand with victims, their families and the communities that have been forever changed by these crimes. I urge Governor Newsom to reconsider this decision and respect the voices of California voters, the work of our justice system, and the families who deserve better. - Sheriff Wayne Woo