California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered an independent investigation into the case of
Kevin Cooper, who has consistently maintained his innocence in the 1983 quadruple-murder for which he was sentenced to death. Newsom’s May 28, 2021 executive order appoints the law firm Morrison and Foerster, LLP as Special Counsel to the California Board of Parole Hearings and directs the firm to “conduct a full review of the trial and appellate records in [Cooper’s] case and of the facts underlying the conviction.”
Newsom’s order — issued in conjunction with 14 pardons, 13 commutations, and 8 medical reprieves granted in other cases — directs Morrison and Foerster “to investigate, report, and make a recommendation” concerning Cooper’s application for clemency and claims of innocence. It also specifies that the firm’s investigation include an “evaluation” of “recently conducted DNA tests.”