Nick Reiner’s Insanity Defense Explained: What Alan Jackson Is Really Building | Bob Motta

Nick Reiner is expected to be arraigned Tuesday on two counts of first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. From the outset, his defense team—led by high-profile attorney Alan Jackson—has made one thing clear: mental health will be central to this case.

Jackson has described the killings as a “devastating tragedy” involving “very complex and serious issues,” language that strongly signals a forthcoming insanity defense. Court filings already include a sealed medical order signed by the judge, and multiple sources have confirmed that Nick Reiner was diagnosed with schizophrenia years ago, with reported changes to his medication in the weeks leading up to the killings.

All of that points toward a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. But what does that actually mean under California law?

California applies the M’Naghten standard, one of the strictest insanity tests in the country. To prevail, the defense must prove that at the time of the alleged acts, Nick either did not understand the nature and quality of what he was doing, or did not know that it was morally or legally wrong. The burden is entirely on the defense—not the prosecution.

In this interview, defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down what Alan Jackson is likely building behind the scenes. What kind of psychiatric evidence actually carries weight with a jury? How do expert evaluations work? And if an insanity defense succeeds, what happens next—state hospital commitment, duration, and the realistic prospects for eventual release.

We also confront the hardest question in this case. Nick Reiner’s own podcast admissions describe years of manipulation—gaming rehabilitation programs, controlling narratives, and persuading his parents to distrust medical professionals. Can a long pattern of deliberate behavior coexist with a claim of legal insanity at the moment of the killings?

Bob Motta walks through the legal strategy, the trial mechanics, and what to expect when Nick Reiner formally enters his plea.

The insanity defense is not a loophole. It is one of the most difficult defenses in criminal law to win. This is how it actually works.

#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #InsanityDefense #AlanJackson #CaliforniaLaw #BobMotta #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime

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