The reverberations from California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to commute the death sentences of all 548 condemned inmates in California has left surviving loved ones reeling, including one 78-year-old mother who broke down in tears in an interview with The California Post.
asserted
who → commute → Post
He was shot and killed on April 23, 2005, while working as a police officer in Pittsburg, California.
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He → shoot → Pittsburg
Lasater was attempting to arrest two robbery suspects that had targeted a supermarket and bank, according to local police.
uncertain
that → attempt → police
Alexander Rashad Hamilton, hiding in a bush, shot and killed Lasater and was later sentenced to death — until Newsom decided to spare his life Thursday.
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Newsom → hide → life
Loya said her first reaction when she heard about Newsom’s act was “immense anger.”
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she → say → act
She said she found out while leaving the gym with friends, proclaiming, “This is the worst day of my life.”
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This → say → life
It’s very emotional,” the mother said.
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mother → ’ → ?
Loya pinned the pain she was feeling on the governor.
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she → pin → governor
She told The Post she didn’t believe in Newsom’s stated reason of abiding by his morals in commuting the sentences.
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she → tell → sentences
She instead accused the governor of being a “political animal” for dropping news of his decision right after the midterms, which showed a Democratic trouncing of Republicans.
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which → accuse → Republicans
“He wants to be president.
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He → want → ?
So I was thinking he was testing the water, and the election made him go for it today.
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him → think → it
That was the only thing that held off his decision,” Loya said.
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Loya → hold → decision
“Does Gavin Newsom ever talk about the victims?
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Newsom → talk → victims
No, he doesn’t,” she added.
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she → add → ?
She noted that Newsom, when he first ran for governor, told editorial boards at the time that he would “follow the will of the people” when asked on the death penalty.
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he → note → penalty
He never did, Loya said, pointing to Newsom’s 2019 moratorium on executions and the fact California voters have voted to keep the death penalty on the books.
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voters → do → books
“He doesn’t care about the will of the people.
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He → care → people
He cares about what’s going to be good for Gavin Newsom.
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what → care → Newsom
And if I sound bitter, I am bitter,” she said.
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she → sound → ?
For many years, Loya said she’s already been struggling with going to court dates for the case of the other robbery suspect in her son’s death, who was sentenced to life.
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who → say → life
Newsom’s mass commutation is a double blow for her, she said.
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she → say → her
“To get retraumatized, except see, this time, it’s not the killer retraumatizing us.
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it → retraumatize → us
I’m being retraumatized by laws passed by the legislatures or by the governor.
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I → retraumatize → governor
That’s retraumatizing,” she said.
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she → say → ?
“That’s who’s retraumatizing me, not the killer.
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who → ’ → me
The putting the knife in and twisting it, that’s the Legislature and the governor.”
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that → put → it
For the now spared killer who has a life sentence without the possibility of parole, Loya said she had no confidence in the justice system to maintain that punishment.
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she → spar → punishment
Many victim advocates have been protesting the state’s parole board and lawmakers for supposedly loosening parole terms or granting more accessways to parole.
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advocates → protest → parole
Loya said she wanted the public to know how good of a person his son was.
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son → say → person
Lasater was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Pittsburg Police Department for five years.
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Lasater → serve → years
The killing of Lasater not only deprived a life but also took away a father.
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killing → deprive → father
His son was born two-and-a-half months after his death.
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son → bear → death
“The closest my son ever came to holding his son was a sonogram that was buried with him in his lifeless hands,” Loya said while crying.
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Loya → come → hands
“Those bullets that killed my son killed a part of me and a part of everybody that loved him.”
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that → kill → him
The Aporia
