Gavin Newsom blocks parole for driver who killed two rescue workers

California Governor Gavin Newsom has blocked the parole of Joseph Tidwell, a convicted killer who was set for early release under the state’s Elderly Parole Program. Tidwell, 57, was serving a 45-year sentence for two counts of second-degree murder following a 2004 head-on collision.

The crash, occurring while Tidwell was under the influence of methamphetamine and heroin, killed two San Gorgonio Search and Rescue volunteers, Scott Johnston and Phil Calvert. The governor’s decision reverses a June 30 ruling by the state parole board that would have released Tidwell after 22 years of his sentence.

While Newsom acknowledged that Tidwell has participated in self-help programming and college courses during his incarceration, the intervention follows significant public opposition from the victims' families and survivors.