Sealed Medical Order, Suicide Smock, Unstable Meds: Eric Faddis On Nick Reiner's Competency

Nick Reiner appeared at his first hearing in a suicide prevention smock. He wasn't medically cleared to be transported initially. Reports say his medications still aren't stabilized. There's a sealed medical order from the judge that reportedly relates to his mental health treatment.

At what point does this shift from "defendant has mental health issues" to a formal competency challenge? Attorney Eric Faddis explains what that process actually looks like in California — and what the sealed order might accomplish for the defense.

Alan Jackson withdrew from the case under circumstances he's "legally and ethically prohibited" from explaining. But he didn't leave quietly. On the courthouse steps, he declared Nick Reiner "not guilty of murder" under California law. That's not a legal ruling — it's a preview of the insanity defense he was building before he walked away.

Jackson's team issued ten subpoenas during their investigation. The judge sealed that list from prosecutors. Eric breaks down what kind of witnesses and records a defense building toward insanity would be subpoenaing — and why keeping that list sealed matters.

Then there's the gas station surveillance video showing Nick calmly buying a drink hours after the murders. Legal experts say that footage "cuts both ways." Eric walks through how prosecution uses it versus how the defense might reframe it.

Nick is charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances. DA Nathan Hochman hasn't ruled out the death penalty, though surviving siblings have reportedly signaled they're not in favor. Eric examines how much victim family input actually influences that decision — and what factors typically push a DA toward death versus life without parole in a parricide case.

#NickReiner #EricFaddis #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #AlanJackson #InsanityDefense #Competency #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #ReinerCase

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This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.