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Nick Reiner could face the death penalty if he’s convicted of murdering his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner.
We now know that Nick was diagnosed with schizophrenia ahead of the murders, and it seems likely that he’ll plead not guilty by reason of insanity.
However, experts say that it would be “very difficult” for Nick’s lawyers to convince a jury that his mental illness absolves him of responsibility for his parents’ deaths.
One prominent attorney says that it would be almost impossible for Reiner’s attorneys to secure a not guilty verdict by employing the insanity defense.
“To be found not guilty by reason of insanity, that is a very difficult legal hurdle to overcome in California,” Neama Rahmani of California’s West Coast Trial Lawyers tells People.
“You have to prove, between disease or defect, the defendant does not know the nature and consequences of his actions. Essentially, you have to show that the defendant doesn’t know right from wrong.”
There was a time when the defense was employed more frequently, but Rahmani says that modern jurors are unlikely to be swayed by it.
“It is very hard,” says Rahmani, to convince a jury that a defendant could not be held accountable for their violent actions.
“Jurors almost always reject this defense. It only works a very small percentage of the time.”
Rahmani says that part of the difficulty lies in the fact that the prosecution presents its case first, meaning that a defense attorney using the insanity defense has to begin by acknowledging that much of what the jury just heard was true.
“Then they gotta turn around and say, ‘Oh, you know what? He actually did it, but he was insane.’ So jurors don’t like it, and it’s rarely, if ever, effective,” Rahmani explains.
It’s unclear if the prosecution will pursue the death penalty against Reiner.
Many legal experts, including Nancy Grace, have described the situation as a “classic case” for the death penalty.
Others have pointed out that defense attorneys are likely to note that the alleged victims, Nick’s parents, would probably not want him put to death.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
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