Court system

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?

Published 6 days ago

Los Angeles District Attorney Won't Seek Death Penalty for Nick Reiner

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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.

Intercept Liz Webster The New York Times

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.

Liz Webster Liz Webster National Review