High-Profile CA Inmate Among Dozens Granted Clemency By Newsom

LOS ANGELES, CA — An inmate journalist at San Quentin State Prison who co-hosted a Pulitzer Prize-nominated podcast was among dozens of prisoners granted clemency, pardon or sentence commutation by Gov. Gavin Newsom this week.

Rahsaan Thomas co-hosted the "Ear Hustle" podcast, which told stories of inmates living in the state’s most storied prison. Newsom on Thursday commuted his sentence in a 2000 second-degree murder conviction in the shooting of a man in Los Angeles County. Thomas had been sentenced to 55 years to life in prison.

Newsom’s commutation would make Thomas eligible for parole immediately.

In commuting Thomas' sentence, Newsome said the following.

“Mr. Thomas committed a serious crime that took the life of one victim and injured another. Since then, Mr. Thomas has demonstrated a commitment to his self-improvement and becoming a productive individual. I have carefully considered and weighed the evidence of Mr. Thomas's positive conduct in prison and his good prospects for successful community reentry. I have concluded that Mr. Thomas merits an earlier opportunity to appear before the Board of Parole Hearings so it can determine whether he is suitable for parole. This act of clemency for Mr. Thomas does not minimize or forgive his conduct or the harm it caused. It does recognize the work he has done since to transform himself.”

Former Gov. Jerry Brown similarly commuted the sentence of another “Ear Hustle” co-host in 2018, leading to his release from prison.

In all, Newsom on Thursday issued 24 pardons, 18 commutations and five reprieves.

Four of the five reprieves were to enable the release of older inmates deemed at high risk because of their medical conditions. Most had already served decades in prison for crimes such as burglary, robbery, carjacking or kidnapping.

Rodney Henderson of Los Angeles was the only inmate granted a sentencing reprieve unrelated to a medical condition. He served 25 years of a 40 to life sentence for robbery.

Newsom frequently cited an inmate’s rehabilitation or risk of deportation in his pardons and commutations for inmates from Orange, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and Santa Cruz counties.

Eight of the pardons were for California residents facing deportation, which Newsom’s office called “an unjust collateral consequence that would harm their families and communities,” The Associated Press reported.

Others received pardons in part because of their service records since they were convicted.

Newsom granted a pardon to U.S. Army officer Julian Galaz, who completed multiple combat tours. Galaz committed a San Diego theft as a teenager.

Similarly, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteer Robert Trussell was convicted of a drug crime at the age of 21 in 1979 before going on to dedicate more than 20 years of his life as a Coast Guard volunteer.

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