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Nick Reiner has pleaded not guilty to the murders of his father and mother, Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner, setting up a case that could test a potential defense surrounding his mental fitness to stand trial.
The petition, filed in a downtown Los Angeles courthouse before a crowd of media, begins what could be a long legal process, a period during which Reiner’s lawyers are expected to question Reiner’s mental state leading up to and during the killings. It could take more than a year before he faces trial, if there is one.
Reiner, 32, faces two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances in connection with the multiple murders. If convicted as charged, he could face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole, although a decision has not been made on whether he will seek the death penalty.
Outside the courtroom after the hearing, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman confirmed that the case “deserves the death penalty.” Prosecutors will begin an internal process to determine whether they should be sought, which will include hiring attorneys for Reiner to present arguments and evidence, Hochman said.
During the brief arraignment, Reiner spoke only to answer affirmatively when the court asked him if he understood he was entitled to a speedy preliminary hearing, where the court would determine whether there was enough evidence to proceed with a trial. He was wearing brown prison clothing and standing behind glass in a closed area of the courtroom. Bail was not issued.
Prosecutors have not yet presented the details of their case against Reiner. They claim he stabbed his 78-year-old father and 70-year-old mother in the early morning of December 14 at their Brentwood home. He allegedly fled the scene and entered the Bayside Santa Monica Hotel hours later. Law enforcement arrested him later that night in South Los Angeles near a gas station.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Habib Balian said the bulk of the discovery had been handed over to the defense but the full autopsy report had not been completed.
It remains unclear whether Reiner will seek an insanity defense. His long history of substance abuse and related mental health disorders is certain to play a major role in the trial, sentencing and positioning of prosecutors. It has been widely reported that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia several years ago and that he was being treated for a serious psychiatric disorder at the time of his parents’ murders. Some reports claimed that Reiner’s medication was modified or changed in the weeks leading up to the attack.
Reiner entered his plea after Alan Jackson, the media-savvy defense attorney who previously represented Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and Karen Reid, withdrew from the case for unknown reasons. He said it was not possible for him and his firm to “continue our representation” of Rayner and was prevented from revealing why on ethical and legal grounds. His lead attorney is now Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Green.
Jackson said Rayner is not guilty of murder “under California law.” The statement sparked some speculation that he planned to pursue someone not guilty because of the insanity defense, which only applies when there is a requirement to prove that the accused did not understand what he was doing or could not understand the difference between right and wrong.
There are other routes Reiner could take. First-degree murder requires showing premeditation with intent to kill. If Reiner’s mental condition is such that he is unable to carry out that intent, he may be guilty of lesser degree murder.
