LAT anti-death penalty

The LAT argues today on behalf of a convicted murderer, saying he will escape the death penalty only because of pro bono work by a dedicated lawyer. It's hard to feel sympathy for a convicted murderer -- the case at issue is not about that murder but a second one. The lawyer, of course, deserves praise for his work. But the LAT argues against the death penalty because it is too costly. They can do better than that. The death penalty is wrong because it involves the taking of a human life.