Nick Reiner's mental state at center of murder case: Inside the looming legal fight

[ad_1] The slayings of Hollywood legend Rob Reiner and his photographer spouse, Michele, have given rise to a fancy and intensely watched authorized battle involving their accused son, prosecutors and protection attorneys, who all face key strategic selections within the coming weeks and months.

Prosecutors allege Nick Reiner fatally stabbed his mother and father inside the master suite of their Brentwood house early on a Sunday morning, then fled the realm.

They've provided no motive for the Dec. 14 assault, however Nick Reiner struggled with habit for years, and he had been prescribed medicine for schizophrenia sooner or later earlier than the killings, based on two sources with data of the prison investigation. Sources have additionally mentioned he bought into some sort of argument with Rob Reiner at a Christmas occasion hours earlier than the slaying.

Authorized consultants say Reiner’s psychological situation and the main points of what occurred on the occasion could possibly be essential parts in the case.

A whole evaluation of his psychological well being will in all probability take months, and the outcomes of that might affect how each side proceed and whether or not prosecutors search the loss of life penalty.

Reiner, 32, was charged with two counts of homicide and will face life in jail with out parole, or the loss of life penalty if convicted of the particular circumstance allegation of a number of murders. Reiner appeared in courtroom Dec. 17 sporting a blue suicide prevention smock, which is issued to defendants who pose a danger of self-harm. A decide accredited lawyer Alan Jackson’s request to proceed Reiner’s arraignment to Jan. 7.

Reiner didn't enter a plea, so the general public has not but heard his facet of the story. Prosecutors have additionally launched few particulars.

Assessing Nick Reiner’s psychological state Lou Shapiro, a Los Angeles protection lawyer, mentioned he expects that Jackson is now working to guage “Reiner’s historical past of psychological well being and way of thinking in the course of the fee of a criminal offense. That's going to take time for the consultants to organize a report.”

These findings could possibly be the premise for discussions of a plea deal or the start of an madness protection, based on Shapiro and others.

The brutal killings of the Reiners surprised the world, and the stakes are going to be excessive for Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman and his employees, who've vowed justice for the beloved couple.

Shapiro mentioned Hochman is unlikely to think about a punishment lower than life with out the opportunity of parole, since he has already alleged particular circumstances.

“It will be onerous for him politically to stroll that again,” Shapiro mentioned.

Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, agreed however mentioned he can be shocked if prosecutors sought the loss of life penalty.

“California hasn’t carried out an execution in many years, and Newsom had positioned a moratorium on the loss of life penalty,” he mentioned. “It’s nonetheless extremely unlikely that Nick is executed, however the opportunity of the loss of life penalty could also be utilized by the prosecution to leverage a plea. Extra doubtless, this gained’t be a capital case and it'll go to trial as a result of the prosecution gained’t supply something lower than life with out the opportunity of parole.”

The Conan O’Brien occasion battle could possibly be key The case is in its earliest levels and prosecutors have introduced little or no proof towards Nick Reiner, together with forensics, movies or different knowledge. So it's not possible to know exactly what's going to occur subsequent. Prosecutors haven't commented on the allegation that Rob and Nick Reiner exchanged phrases at Conan O’Brien’s Christmas occasion. Some household associates advised The Instances the conflict had been “overblown.”

However Rahmani mentioned prosecutors might use it.

He mentioned it could possibly be used as proof of premeditation. “In case you get into an argument with somebody and also you come again with a weapon, that’s premeditation.”

Rahmani additionally mentioned prosecutors might use the argument to battle an madness protection. “In case you’re succesful sufficient to have an argument together with your mother and father at a Christmas occasion ... you aren't insane,” Rahmani mentioned.

Madness protection has challenges Protection lawyer Dmitry Gorin, a former L.A. County prosecutor, mentioned Jackson’s first activity is assessing his shopper’s psychological well being. That evaluation might finally result in a not responsible by madness plea, however might additionally present proof to maneuver Reiner from the county jail to a non-public psychiatric facility.

“A very powerful factor in prison circumstances is to have the shoppers get fast therapy, and be capable of cooperate in his protection, which is not going to occur whereas he’s in jail,” he mentioned.

Gorin mentioned that the madness protection is especially powerful in California, and that in uncommon circumstances it should be proved {that a} defendant didn't know proper from fallacious.

“The burden of proof is on the protection in an madness case, and the jury may even see the protection as an excuse for committing a critical crime,” he mentioned. “The jury units a really excessive bar on the defendant as a result of it understands that it'll launch him from obligation.”

Sources advised The Instances that after the killing, Nick Reiner went to a resort in Santa Monica. He was arrested that Sunday night time close to USC. His total actions that day stay unclear.

Neither Jackson nor prosecutors would touch upon the route of the case.

‘Advanced’ points Jackson has known as the killings “a devastating tragedy. However he cautioned the general public to not rush to judgment or leap to conclusions, saying there are “very advanced and critical points” that should be “totally, however very fastidiously, handled and examined and checked out and analyzed.”

Nick Reiner’s habit has been public for years.

He has mentioned in interviews that he grew to become hooked on heroin as a youngster, and had cycled out and in of rehabilitation facilities and skilled bouts of homelessness. Reiner mentioned he was now not utilizing by 2015, when he co-wrote “Being Charlie,” a movie a few drug-addicted younger man whose father is a chilly former film star working for governor of California. Rob Reiner directed the movie.