Nick Reiner's Defense Attorney Quits After Declaring "Not Guilty"—What Did Alan Jackson Find?
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
True Crime Today
3.3 • 907 Ratings
🗓️ 24 January 2026
⏱️ 45 minutes
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Summary
One of America's best defense attorneys just made the most unusual exit in recent legal memory. Alan Jackson told the court he was "legally and ethically prohibited" from continuing to represent Nick Reiner. Then he walked outside and told reporters: "Pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder." What circumstances force an attorney to withdraw while simultaneously staking his professional reputation on his client's innocence?
The clues are buried in sealed documents. A confidential medical order. Ten subpoenas prosecutors aren't allowed to see. Three weeks of investigation that changed Jackson's entire approach—then ended with him handing the case to Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene.
Nick faces death-eligible charges: two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances. Sources confirm he was being treated for schizophrenia when his mother Michele Reiner and her partner were killed. He appeared in court wearing a suicide prevention smock. His medications reportedly aren't stabilized. At what point does mental health history become a formal competency challenge?
Attorney Eric Faddis examines the evidence that's emerged—including gas station surveillance showing Nick calmly purchasing a drink hours after the murders. Prosecution sees consciousness of guilt. A defense signaling insanity sees something different entirely. Eric breaks down how both sides would use that footage, what Jackson's withdrawal signals about the defense strategy, and why DA Nathan Hochman remains "fully confident" in pursuing conviction despite everything.
The arraignment is February 23rd. The sealed evidence remains locked. And Alan Jackson's public declaration hangs over this case like an unanswered question nobody in the courthouse is allowed to address.
#NickReiner #AlanJackson #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #InsanityDefense #SealedEvidence #EricFaddis #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #CaliforniaCourts
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is the big breakdown. |
| 0:02.2 | A long look back at some of the biggest stories we're covering for you at the Hidden |
| 0:05.9 | Killers podcast and True Crime Today. |
| 0:09.5 | This is Hidden Killers Live with Tony Burski, Stacey Cole, and Todd Michaels. |
| 0:18.9 | The Nick Reiner case took a dramatic turn in the last days when high-profile defense attorney Alan Jackson fresh off his care and read acquittal, withdrew from representing Nick what was supposed to be his arraignment. |
| 0:32.2 | Jackson said he was legally and ethically prohibited from explaining why, citing circumstances beyond our control and, more importantly, beyond Nick's control. |
| 0:46.6 | But then he walked outside the courthouse and told reporters, pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. |
| 0:52.7 | Print that. Take that to the bank. |
| 0:55.1 | Nick is now represented by Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Green. Arraignment has been pushed now to February 23rd. |
| 1:02.1 | And there's a sealed medical order that sources say relates to his mental health treatment. |
| 1:07.1 | He's charged at two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, multiple murders with use of a deadly weapon, which means the DA can seek the death penalty or life without parole. |
| 1:17.4 | In this conviction, I want to break down what's actually happening now legally and what the road ahead looks like to help us do that. |
| 1:26.6 | Eric Fattis is with us, defense attorney |
| 1:29.4 | and former prosecutor. Eric, welcome. Let's start with Alan Jackson's withdrawal. He said he was |
| 1:36.2 | legally and ethically prohibited from explaining why, but then walked outside to more cameras and |
| 1:42.0 | declared Dick Ryder not guilty of murder under California law. |
| 1:46.1 | What sort of circumstances would force a high-profile attorney to withdraw from a case |
| 1:49.6 | while simultaneously continuing to make public declarations about it? |
| 1:54.7 | What does it tell you about where this case is headed, where this defense is headed? |
| 1:59.2 | So there are a number of potential reasons why an attorney would have to legally and ethically |
| 2:04.8 | withdraw. |
| 2:06.0 | You know, when you're meeting with your client, you're receiving information from them. |
... |
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