Parkland shooter jury did the right thing

Bravo for 3 Florida penalty phase jurors who voted life over death for Nickolas Cruz for killing 17 students in Parkland, FL 4 years ago.

The penalty phase trial, which squandered six months of time and many thousands of Florida’s precious tax dollars, was totally unnecessary. Three years ago Florida refused Cruz’s guilty plea for the 17 murders in return of a life sentence. Florida officials were too obsessed with making Cruz the 18th fatality of a truly horrific crime to do the right thing.

Killing Cruz would not meet a single goal of a decent criminal justice system. It coarsens instead of elevating society. It simply feeds the bloodlust that lurks in all of us, allowing the ordinary, law abiding citizen to vicariously experience the thrill of murder. That is sick.

America has become an outlier in the drive to end capital punishment. We’re one of only 55 of 195 countries practicing it. Twenty-six of fifty states have dumped capital punishment as well.

Those states practicing it should take note. Penalty phase juries are more prone to spare even the most heinous killers from death. Alas, they have more sense that state officials pandering to what they foolishly believe their citizenry wants.

Come on state officials, channel Spike Lee and ‘Do The Right Thing.’