Alan Jackson quit as Nick Reiner's attorney today. But before he left, he delivered a statement that will define this case: "Pursuant to the laws of California, Nick Reiner is NOT guilty of murder. Print that."

That's not a withdrawal. That's a roadmap — one Jackson can no longer follow.

This comprehensive breakdown examines the three legal battles ahead for Nick Reiner. First: competency. Can Nick even participate in his own defense? Sources say he was being treated for schizophrenia, with medication changes in the weeks before the killings. If found incompetent, the criminal case pauses until he's restored. Second: the guilt phase, where the jury decides if he committed the act. Third: the sanity trial — where Jackson's words would have applied.

California uses the M'Naghten Rule, one of the strictest insanity standards in the country. The defense must prove Nick couldn't understand what he was doing or couldn't distinguish right from wrong at the exact moment of the crime. Having schizophrenia isn't enough. Having a diagnosis isn't enough. Less than one percent of defendants plead insanity. About a quarter succeed.

We examine who's taking over — the LA County Public Defender's Office, led by Ricardo Garcia, with one of the best capital case records in the country. We look at what happens if the defense succeeds: commitment to a state psychiatric hospital, potentially for life, in facilities where the DOJ found civil rights violations and patient murders.

The Reiners spent seventeen years trying to save their son. More than a dozen rehab programs. Seventy thousand dollars a month. None of it mattered. Now the state of California will make the permanent decision they never could.

#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleSingerReiner #ReinerCase #InsanityDefense #CaliforniaLaw #MNaghtenRule #MurderTrial #LegalAnalysis #TrueCrime

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This is the defense that will define Nick Reiner's future — and it almost never works.

Alan Jackson spent three weeks investigating Nick's case before withdrawing. His parting statement made his strategy clear: "Nick Reiner is NOT guilty of murder under California law." That's code for insanity defense. And now public defender Kimberly Greene has to build it from scratch.

Here's what we know: Nick was reportedly being treated for schizophrenia at the time he allegedly killed his parents, director Rob Reiner and philanthropist Michele Singer Reiner. Sources tell NBC4 about the diagnosis. TMZ reports schizoaffective disorder. Multiple outlets confirm his medication was changed weeks before January 6th, and his behavior became "erratic and dangerous."

But California's insanity standard doesn't care about diagnosis. It cares about one moment — the instant of the crime. Under the M'Naghten Rule, the defense must prove Nick either didn't understand what he was doing or couldn't distinguish right from wrong at that precise time.

Attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis joins us for a deep dive into how this defense works — and whether Nick's case fits. We examine the two-phase trial process, how medication changes affect the legal argument, and what prosecutors will use against him.

Sources say Nick attended a Christmas party days before the killings and was coherent enough to have conversations. That's exactly the kind of evidence that sinks insanity defenses.

We also discuss Nick's documented history of cocaine and stimulant abuse — and how California law treats mental illness complicated by addiction.

Less than one percent of defendants plead insanity. Here's whether Nick Reiner could be one of the few who succeeds.

#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleSingerReiner #InsanityDefense #ReinerCase #Schizophrenia #CaliforniaLaw #MNaghtenRule #MurderTrial #LegalDeepDive

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The defense strategy in the Nick Reiner murder case just hit a wall — and then pivoted in public.

Alan Jackson, who was retained as Nick's attorney within hours of his arrest for allegedly killing his parents Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, withdrew from the case today. He told the judge he had "no choice" due to circumstances "beyond Nick's control." Sources tell Deadline the reason is money.

But Jackson didn't leave quietly. On the courthouse steps, he delivered what sounded like a preview of the defense Nick will never get from him: "Pursuant to the laws of California, Nick Reiner is NOT guilty of murder. Print that."

That's a clear signal — Jackson believes an insanity defense could work. His team investigated for three weeks, issued ten subpoenas that are now sealed, and worked "every waking hour." Now all of that belongs to history, and public defender Kimberly Greene is starting from scratch.

Greene met Nick for approximately thirty seconds before the hearing. She told reporters she'd had no contact with the Reiner family and wasn't sure they even knew Jackson was withdrawing.

In this deep-dive episode, attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis breaks down what went wrong, what happens to Jackson's work product, and whether Nick actually loses anything by switching to the public defender's office — which has a remarkable capital case record.

We also examine how this affects the prosecution strategy. Deputy DA Habib Balian is on the case — the same prosecutor who handled Menendez and Durst. Does chaos on the defense side give him an advantage?

Arraignment: February 23rd. No plea entered. Everything is in flux.

#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleSingerReiner #ReinerMurders #AlanJackson #ReinerCase #MurderTrial #InsanityDefense #TrueCrime #LegalAnalysis

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