The slayings of Hollywood legend Rob Reiner and his photographer spouse, Michele, have given rise to a posh and intensely watched authorized wrestle 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 main bedroom of their Brentwood house early on a Sunday morning, then fled the world.
They’ve provided no motive for the Dec. 14 assault, however Nick Reiner struggled with dependancy for years, and he had been prescribed remedy for schizophrenia in some unspecified time in the future earlier than the killings, in keeping with two sources with information of the felony investigation. Sources have additionally mentioned he acquired into some sort of argument with Rob Reiner at a Christmas celebration hours earlier than the slaying.
Authorized consultants say Reiner’s psychological situation and the main points of what occurred on the celebration might be vital parts in the case.
An entire 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 demise penalty.
Reiner, 32, was charged with two counts of homicide and will face life in jail with out parole, or the demise 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 accepted 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 judge “Reiner’s historical past of psychological well being and way of thinking throughout the fee of a criminal offense. That’s going to take time for the consultants to arrange a report.”
These findings might be the idea for discussions of a plea deal or the start of an madness protection, in keeping with Shapiro and others.
The brutal killings of the Reiners shocked 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 potential for 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 demise penalty.
“California hasn’t carried out an execution in a long time, and Newsom had positioned a moratorium on the demise penalty,” he mentioned. “It’s nonetheless extremely unlikely that Nick is executed, however the potential for the demise penalty could also be utilized by the prosecution to leverage a plea. Extra possible, 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 potential for parole.”
The Conan O’Brien celebration struggle might be key
The case is in its earliest levels and prosecutors have offered little or no proof in opposition to Nick Reiner, together with forensics, movies or different information. So it’s unimaginable to know exactly what is going to occur subsequent. Prosecutors haven’t commented on the allegation that Rob and Nick Reiner exchanged phrases at Conan O’Brien’s Christmas celebration. Some household mates instructed The Instances the conflict had been “overblown.”
However Rahmani mentioned prosecutors might use it.
He mentioned it might be used as proof of premeditation. “When 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 struggle an madness protection. “When you’re succesful sufficient to have an argument together with your mother and father at a Christmas celebration … you aren’t insane,” Rahmani mentioned.
Madness protection has challenges
Protection lawyer Dmitry Gorin, a former L.A. County prosecutor, mentioned Jackson’s first process 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 personal psychiatric facility.
“Crucial factor in felony circumstances is to have the purchasers get fast remedy, and be capable to cooperate in his protection, which won’t 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 have to be proved {that a} defendant didn’t know proper from flawed.
“The burden of proof is on the protection in an madness case, and the jury might even see the protection as an excuse for committing a severe 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 instructed The Instances that after the killing, Nick Reiner went to a resort in Santa Monica. He was arrested that Sunday evening close to USC. His general actions that day stay unclear.
Neither Jackson nor prosecutors would touch upon the route of the case.
‘Complicated’ points
Jackson has referred to as the killings “a devastating tragedy. However he cautioned the general public to not rush to judgment or soar to conclusions, saying there are “very advanced and severe points” that should be “totally, however very fastidiously, handled and examined and checked out and analyzed.”
Nick Reiner’s dependancy has been public for years.
He has mentioned in interviews that he turned 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.
Nick Reiner has no felony historical past and on the time of the killing was dwelling within the again home of the Reiners’ property.
