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Attorney Matt Murphy shares details of how Nick Reiner is on the road after being arrested on suspicion of murdering his parents, beloved Hollywood actor and director, Rob Reiner, and his wife, Michele Reiner.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Murphy explained that discovery is still ongoing in the case, saying that Nick’s attorney, Alan Jackson, “needs to carefully review as much as he can find,” in order to “determine with certainty” if his client “can simply plead not guilty” or submit “a plea of insanity.”
“So to continue arguing, there’s nothing unusual about that. And it’s important to remember that Nick Reiner is not being transported – there’s no decision on that. There’s no mental health professional making that call. The defense has the collective ability, as I said, to declare doubt. And they can say, ‘My client is not ready to do this yet, and for now he has to take this word.'”
Murphy says Jackson now has to “reassure his customers [and] communication,” adding that the next step in the process is “to hurry up and wait.” He added that he “wouldn’t be surprised to see this trial continue” a few more times, until Jackson “decides whether he’s going to plead or not.”
Murphy says the case is still in the discovery phase. (Laura Cavanaugh/FilmMagic)
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He also explained that the defense may ask the court for time to evaluate everything, and knowing that this case has the potential to receive the death penalty, Murphy emphasized that he would not “want the public’s desire for an outcome to affect the defendant’s constitutional rights” so he would support that.
“The defense will then prepare what’s known as a live-z package, or in Los Angeles County, they call it a live z-listen. You’re going to gather as much information as possible about mitigating factors,” he explained. “In a death penalty analysis, it’s about the factors in the event versus the mitigating factors. And some of the major mitigating factors that Alan Jackson will argue are, the history of drug abuse, the dynamics of the family, the fact that these were not strangers, these were his parents who knew him, et cetera, et cetera et cetera.”
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Jackson will then present the package to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and his staff.
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“Nathan Hockman will then make a decision as to whether they will seek the death penalty or whether they will seek life without parole,” Murphy said. “And again, my prediction is that they will seek LWOP. They will seek life without parole. But I would be surprised. I’ve been wrong before.”
Murphy predicts that Nick will be sentenced to life in prison without parole. (Rommel Demano/Getty Images)
After Nick is arrested on suspicion of murdering his parents, his history of addiction and mental health has resurfaced.
Murphy predicts that Jackson will bring “some sort of mental health defense based on addiction,” and his own struggles with mental health issues, but said there is a difference in terms of “living mental illness.” Living mental illness includes diseases such as “onset schizophrenia, that is not the defendant’s fault.”
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In other words, they get sick, they get mentally ill, and they try to self-medicate, or they get into drugs because of it,” Murphy said. “I haven’t heard that from Nick Reiner.”
He went on to compare Nick’s case to one he worked on in Orange County, California, which involved a young man with a documented mental illness, who killed his parents and was found legally sane and convicted.
Murphy compared Nick’s case to one he worked on in Orange County. (Mona Edwards)
“California uses what’s known as the McNaughton Rule,” Murphy said. “McNaughton’s Law is about 150 years old, and it basically represents the proposition that if a criminal defendant understands the nature and quality of his actions, the nature and quality of his actions when he kills, then they are legally responsible even if they are high, even if they are drunk, even if they suffer from mental illness. “
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“Therefore, the way we would explain to our judges if the devil appeared on this boy’s shoulder and said ‘hey go over there and stab this banana,’ a person does not understand that he is killing someone,” he continued. “In other words, they don’t understand the situation and the level of their actions. However, if it’s the devil coming over your shoulder saying, go kill those people or I’ll call you a toad, you’re still under the law and have the moral and legal responsibility to tell the devil no.”
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Because of these factors, Murphy said that “as good as Alan Jackson is, you’re dealing with a tough guy,” adding that intoxication is not “a true defense to murder,” because if it was, “no one would ever be charged with murder.”
As for the actual trial, Murphy says it’s likely that the defense will “announce doubts about the mental capacity” of their client, after which “the court will appoint two experts to do the evaluation,” and then “end this very long process.”
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Murphy predicts that the defense will “raise doubts” about Nick’s mental capacity. (Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Teen Vogue)
“The doctors will examine Nick Reiner and give their opinion,” he said. “And then if he’s found incompetent, then he goes to a mental health facility. We’re locked up for treatment and medication to come back. And sometimes you see, it’s almost like a game, ping pong, where mental health professionals will convince someone that they’re competent, bring them back to court, and then the defense attorney will say no again.”
Murphy made it clear that the investigation does not stop when charges are filed and that both prosecutors and prosecutors will pursue “the utmost dedication.” [and a] a high-level investigation.”
WATCH: ATTORNEY MATT MURPHY PREDICTS NICK REINER’S TRIAL ‘TO BE A VERY LONG PROCESS’
A video of Nick entering a gas station and buying a drink following the killing has surfaced online, and he was allegedly “acting weird” before the killing while at Conan O’Brien’s holiday party, two things Murphy said “could cut both ways.”
“With a lawyer as sharp as Alan Jackson, he’ll argue, ‘Look, that means he doesn’t know what he’s done,'” Murphy explained. “And what will the prosecutors say. ‘Look, that guy, obviously, doesn’t cry at the moon. He knows how to use a credit card. He knows he’s dealing with someone behind the register.’ And indeed, under the law, it is a very strict standard under the McNaughton rule. “
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Murphy said it was clear that Rob and Michele Reiner loved their son. (Stefanie Keenan)
Murphy concluded by acknowledging that “addiction affects almost every American family,” and that many people know someone like Nick, adding of Nick that “I think it’s clear that he was loved by his parents.”
“The number we always see is 17 stints in rehab. I mean, two parents who really love their son,” Murphy said. “Even to the point where he’s 32 years old and they bring him to Conan O’Brien’s party. So he’s had a lot of advantages in life, and he’s previously described himself as a spoiled rich kid. So we’ll see where this goes. This is going to be a very interesting case to watch.”
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