Nick Reiner's Lawyer To Consider The 'Insanity Plea' Route As Murder Case Enters New Phase, Expert Reveals

Nick Reiner's lawyer, Alan Jackson, could use the insanity plea in his client's defense as the case enters its discovery phase.

A legal expert shared that the situation is going to be a tough one for Jackson, as the suspect is up against the prospect of facing the death penalty.

According to reports, Nick Reiner's family is likely against the death penalty for the alleged killer, as they believe he needs help.

Nick Reiner's Lawyer Weighs Insanity Plea

Ahead of what promises to be an interesting legal battle, defense experts are already dissecting what's ahead for Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old accused of killing his parents, beloved Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, attorney Matt Murphy says Nick's lawyer Alan Jackson is typically still in the discovery phase as he'll need time to "carefully review as many discoveries as he can get," after which he will be able to decide if they should "just plead not guilty" or submit a "guilty by reason of insanity plea."

"So continuing an arraignment, there's nothing unusual about that," Murphy continued. "And it's also important to remember that Nick Reiner is not being transported – there's no verdict on that. There's no mental health professional that is making that call. The defense has the unilateral ability to, like I said, declare a doubt. And they can say, 'My client isn't ready to do this yet,' and at this stage, the court basically has to take them at their word."

Cornell Law School defines the insanity plea as an argument where a defendant admits to committing a crime but claims they aren't criminally responsible because a severe mental illness at the time of the act prevented them from understanding it was wrong or controlling their actions.

The Alleged Killer's Lawyer Doesn't Want Public Opinion To Hold Sway As News Of His Parents' Deaths Sparks Debate

Since the incident happened, Nick's substance abuse and struggle with his mental health have resurfaced in the media.

Reports suggest he has been to rehab at least 17 times before he turned 25, and was homeless at some point because of it.

It's for this reason Murphy told Jackson that he'll have to get Nick "stabilized [and] communicative," so that they can put forth a strong case. He noted that it won't be a surprise for him should the arraignment be dragged a little longer until Nick's lawyer "decides whether or not he's going to enter a plea."

Rob and Michele's death has garnered significant attention, with several citizens commenting on it, including President Donald Trump. Knowing what's at stake, Murphy stated that he wouldn't "want the public's desire for an outcome ever to influence the constitutional rights of a criminal defendant."

"The defense will then prepare what's known as a live-z packet, or in Los Angeles County, they call it a live-z hearing. He's gonna accumulate as much information as he can regarding factors in mitigation," he explained. "In the death penalty analysis, it's about factors in aggravation versus factors in mitigation. And some big factors in mitigation Alan Jackson's gonna argue are, the history of substance abuse, the family dynamics, the fact that these weren't strangers, these were his parents that knew him, et cetera, et cetera et cetera."

Nick Reiner Was Treated For Schizophrenia

Nick was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was medically undergoing treatment for it. Reports claim his treatment was adjusted at some point, although it remains unclear when that happened.

That could be an issue in the case, as Murphy predicts Jackson will come in with "some sort of mental health defense based on the addiction."

However, he added that the extremes are quite blurred and there's a limit to how far "organic mental illness" goes.

"In other words, they get sick, they get mentally ill, and then they try to self-medicate, or they get into drugs as a result of that," Murphy said. "I haven't heard any of that yet on Nick Reiner."

Murphy added that it's possible the defense will " declare a doubt regarding the mental competency" of their client, after which "the court will appoint two experts to do an evaluation," and then "you wind up with this very long procedural process."

The Alleged Killer Could Face The Death Penalty Over His Parents' Murders

Nick appeared in court last week, sporting a blue vest. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, but waived his right to a plea.

The Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the charges carry a possible life in prison sentence without the possibility of parole, and that authorities are still considering whether or not to pursue the death penalty.

However, reports suggest the family can not afford to lose another member and wants the death penalty to be taken off the table.

Nick Reiner's Family Doesn't Want Him To Receive Capital Punishment, Source Claims

According to sources who spoke with Rob Shuter's #Shuterscoop, Nick's family sees his alleged grisly act as the result of "a catastrophic failure of mental health treatment," rather than an intentional crime.

"Nick is seriously ill. They believe killing him won't bring Rob and Michele back — and it won't fix what went wrong," the source said, per The Blast.

The insider added that the family sees his behavior as "unpredictable" and sometimes "frighteningly unstable."

However, they don't see him as the "monster" many now think he is because of the sad incident, and are against the death penalty.

"They don't see him as a monster — they see him as someone who was failed," another source said.