Governor Gavin Newsom has issued 14 pardons, 13 commutations and eight medical reprieves to people in California prisons, state officials announced Friday.
Newsom also signed an executive order to launch an independent investigation into death row inmate Kevin Cooper’s case, officials said.
The clemency grantees are from 13 counties in California and many were teenagers at the time of their crimes. Officials said they have participated in a range of rehabilitative programs.
Inmates who have had their sentences commuted may now appear before the Board of Parole Hearings, which will determine whether they are suitable for release on parole, according to the state.
The investigation into Cooper's case will review trial and appellate records, the facts underlying the conviction and all available evidence, including the results of the recently conducted DNA tests that Newsom previously ordered.
Cooper was sentenced to death in 1985 after he was convicted of killing four people and severely wounding a fifth in Chino Hills. However, Cooper has consistently proclaimed his innocence, and multiple judges have warned that the state may be ready to execute an innocent man.
While in office, Newsom has granted a total of 86 pardons, 92 commutations and 28 reprieves.
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