Los Angeles District Attorney Won't Seek Death Penalty for Nick Reiner
Is this an honest admission that capital punishment is a hollow threat or a mercy granted only to spare the surviving family?
Above: Nick Reiner in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Feb. 23. Image credit: Chris Torres-Pool/Pool/Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
Taking the death penalty off the table here is the only honest call, since capital punishment in California is a hollow threat used for political theater. This case has indications of mental health issues and decades of addiction. The death penalty doesn't deter crime and costs taxpayers billions.
Right narrative
The death penalty was properly on the table for an ambush killing of two trusted parents, and dropping it was a mercy granted only because the victims themselves opposed executions. The death penalty is an appropriate tool of criminal justice and could have been used here.