Nick Reiner’s attorney, Alan Jackson, said in court Wednesday that he is withdrawing from the double murder case.
Reiner, who is accused of killing his parents Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner, appeared in court for his arraignment. Assistant Public Defender Kimberly Greene took over the defense.
Reiner spoke only once and agreed to postpone his arraignment to Feb. 23.
“Yes, I agree,” he said.
Outside court, Jackson said he was ethically not allowed to give a full explanation of why he left the case, but said it was due to “circumstances beyond our control and, more importantly, beyond Nick’s control.”
“My team and I remain deeply, deeply committed to Nick Reiner and his best interests,” Jackson said.
Although Reiner’s mental state appears to be a central issue in the case, there are no formal indications of insanity. Jackson pointed out that there has been a lot of speculation surrounding this incident.
“What we’ve learned is that you can take this to the bank and follow the laws of this state…Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder,” Jackson said. “Please print it out. We wish him the best of luck in the future.”
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman also spoke to reporters outside court.
“We have full confidence that the jury will unanimously convict Nick Reiner of the brutal murder of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner, beyond a reasonable doubt,” Hochman said.
Green and Los Angeles County Public Defender Ricardo Garcia also met and said they learned Tuesday that they would be taking over the case. Green said she had only spoken to Reiner for about 30 seconds and needed to consult with Reiner further before deciding what to do next. She said she did not believe that Reiner’s brothers were unaware of the change in wording.
A spokesperson for the Reiner family declined to comment.
“They have the utmost confidence in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal process,” the spokesperson said.
Reiner previously appeared in court wearing a blue suicide prevention smock. On Wednesday, he was wearing a brown prison jumpsuit and had a shaved head. He sat behind a glass screen in the spacious courtroom of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, occasionally standing to speak with his attorney.
The 32-year-old faces up to life in prison without parole or the death penalty for killing his parents. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with “special circumstances,” a crime that could carry the death penalty.
Rob Reiner and Michelle Reiner were found dead in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14 around 3:40 p.m. Nick Reiner was arrested that night near the University of Southern California campus in Exposition Park, about 19 miles from Brentwood. He was arrested on suspicion of murder the next morning and is being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. Mr. Jackson has worked with high-profile clients such as Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and Karen Reed.
“Prosecuting these cases involving families is some of the most difficult and most heart-wrenching cases our office faces due to the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes involved,” Hochman said in announcing the charges.
Nick Reiner has previously spoken out about his struggles with addiction and homelessness, and co-wrote his experiences in the 2015 film Being Charlie, which was directed by his father.
The deaths of Rob and Michelle Reiner shocked Hollywood and the world. After his breakout role as Meathead in All in the Family, Rob went on to direct such classic films as The Princess Bride, Stand by Me, This is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally, and A Few Good Men. Many fans, filmmakers and close friends including Billy Crystal and Larry David paid tribute to the couple.
