Los Angeles Times Editorial on the Kelly Thomas Verdict

We were not in the courtroom, so it's unwise to second-guess the jury, but watching that CNN clip I posted yesterday will get you emotional about the case. See, "Not-Gulity Verdict in Kelly Thomas Police Murder Case."

And FWIW, from the editors at LAT, "Learning from the Kelly Thomas case":

The death of homeless, schizophrenic Kelly Thomas after a beating by two Fullerton police officers was shocking. Anyone who has seen the grainy but graphic 33-minute video of the incident must acknowledge that it is hard to square with the jury's conclusion that the two officers were not guilty of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter or even of using excessive force.

The verdict is a reminder of how difficult it is to convict police officers in such cases, because the law explicitly allows them to use deadly force to protect themselves, if necessary, in the line of duty. What's more, even the most horrific video tells only part of the story, and the jury, which had the final say, ultimately concluded after watching it and listening to testimony and sifting through evidence that the officers should go free.

But no one should conclude from the acquittal that nothing went wrong that night in Fullerton, or that the high legal bar for convicting police officers means that violence is an acceptable way for police to handle a mentally ill suspect...

RTWT.