The 1967 Law That Left Rob & Michele Reiner Defenseless Against Their Own Son
The 1967 Law That Left Rob & Michele Reiner Defenseless Against Their Own Son  
Podcast: Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Published On: Mon Jan 19 2026
Description: Rob Reiner reportedly told friends he was "petrified" of his own son. Michele Reiner had allegedly grown increasingly worried about Nick's deteriorating mental state. They had money, connections, access to the best treatment in the world — and none of it mattered.Because in California, families cannot force treatment on an adult who refuses it. They can't initiate conservatorships. They can't compel long-term psychiatric care. All they can do is call 911, watch their loved one get held for 72 hours, and wait for them to be released.This episode traces how we got here. In 1967, California passed the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, ending indefinite involuntary commitment and creating strict criteria for psychiatric holds. The law was a response to real abuses — families locking away "inconvenient" relatives, horrific conditions in state hospitals, patients warehoused for decades without treatment.But the community mental health centers that were supposed to replace the hospitals were never built. The funding was gutted. And within one year of the law taking effect, mentally ill people entering California's criminal justice system doubled.Today, fewer than 1,500 Californians are on LPS conservatorships. A 2020 audit found that in LA County, nearly 10,000 people had been placed on at least 10 psychiatric holds — but only 1 in 16 ever resulted in long-term care. The 72-hour hold became a revolving door. And families like the Reiners were left with impossible choices: abandon your sick child to the streets, or become their untrained caregiver and hope today isn't the day it all falls apart.We dismantled a flawed system and called the rubble progress. Rob and Michele paid the price.#HiddenKillers #RobReiner #NickReiner #MentalHealthCrisis #LPSAct #Deinstitutionalization #5150 #CaliforniaMentalHealth #TrueCrime #ReinerCaseJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This 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.