Nick Reiner’s arraignment was postponed again after his lawyer, prominent criminal defense attorney Alan Jackson, resigned shortly before the court hearing.
On Wednesday morning in the Stanley Mosque courtroom of Los Angeles County Superior Court, Jackson told the judge presiding over the case that he is no longer representing Reiner, who is charged with the murders of his parents, Rob and Michelle Reiner.
“We will be asked to recuse as attorney of record. We have no choice but to decline and seek relief,” Jackson said.
Nick will instead be represented by Kimberly Greene, a Los Angeles County public defender.
The judge signed a change of legal representation and set a new arraignment date for February 23rd.
“Oh, yeah, I agree with that,” Nick said before leaving the courtroom and returning to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, where he remains without bail.
“This morning, I had to resign as Nick Reiner’s attorney. Circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly beyond Nick’s control, have sadly made it impossible for me to continue defending Nick,” Jackson told reporters outside the courtroom.
He continued, “Please be clear. Be very, very clear. My team and I have remained deeply, deeply committed to Nick Reiner and his best interests. In fact, we know, we are not just certain, that the legal process will reveal the true facts of the circumstances surrounding this case.”
He concluded: “We get it. You can take this to the bank, which means, according to the laws of this state, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print it!”
Green also told reporters that she only spoke to Nick for “30 seconds” Wednesday morning.
Ricardo Garcia, a member of her team, added that he learned Tuesday night that he would be filling in for Nick in Jackson’s place.
“On behalf of the entire public defender’s office, I would like to say that we are deeply disappointed and understand the pain and suffering that the Reiner family is currently experiencing. … Our hearts go out to the entire family,” he said.
“We hope the entire community understands that this is a difficult time for the entire legal process. We ask for your patience and understanding as we work our way through the legal system and will be available to answer your questions as needed.”
However, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman argued that prosecutors are confident that a jury will find Nick guilty of murdering his father and mother, regardless of who represents him.
Meanwhile, a representative for Nick’s brothers Jake and Romy Reiner told Page Six in a statement after the hearing: “They have full confidence in the legal process and will not be commenting further on matters related to the legal process.”
Nick was scheduled to enter his plea Wednesday. This is the second time his arraignment has been postponed, as it was originally scheduled for his first court appearance on December 17th.
The 32-year-old, with wild hair, looked stoic and melancholy throughout the hearing, staring straight ahead. His hands and feet were shackled and he was wearing a suicide prevention smock.
During his court appearance, Nick spoke just three words to the judge, “Yes, sir,” confirming that he was sure he wanted to waive his right to speedy arraignment.
After a short hearing, Jackson announced to reporters outside the courthouse that his client would be arraigned on January 7th.
“First and most importantly, this is a devastating tragedy that befell the Reiner family. We all recognize that. Our hearts go out to the entire Reiner family. There are very complex and serious issues involved in this case that need to be addressed, investigated, considered and analyzed thoroughly but very carefully,” he said.
“During this process, we ask that we move forward in the way that the system is designed to move forward. Rather than rushing to judgment and jumping to conclusions, we ask that you do so with restraint and dignity and respect for what this system and this process deserves and what this family deserves.”
Jackson continued: “So, arraignment is scheduled for January 7th. That’s my next court date and that’s all I have to say at this point. There may be more at another time, but today I’m going to rest based on my procedural position.”
Jake, 34, and Romy, 29, also released statements after the first hearing.
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of our day. The horrifying and devastating loss of our parents, Rob Reiner and Michelle Reiner, which no one should ever have to experience. They were not just our parents, they were our best friends,” they said through their representatives.
“We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness and support from people from all walks of life, as well as family and friends.”
They added: “We ask now for respect and privacy, that speculation be tempered with compassion and humanity, and that our parents live a wonderful life and be remembered for the love they gave.”
The two did not mention any siblings.
On December 14, Rob, 78, and Michelle, 70, were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home after an argument with Nick at a party the night before.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office found the couple’s cause of death to be “multiple sharp trauma,” and ruled the manner of death a homicide.
Nick was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstances of multiple murders.
He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Between the time Jackson took him on as a client and the time he left, it was reported that Nick, who had a long history of drug addiction, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia before the murder.
Sources previously told TMZ that Nick was being treated by a psychiatrist for mental illness and that his behavior had become “alarming” in the weeks leading up to the murder.
About a month ago, doctors changed Nick’s medication, at which point he reportedly became “insane.”
They were reportedly in the process of adjusting his medication to stabilize him when the tragedy occurred.
Nick has recently been receiving care at a Los Angeles rehabilitation facility that specializes in mental illness and substance abuse, the newspaper said, noting that Nick’s substance abuse has exacerbated his schizophrenia.
He admitted that he had been to rehab nearly 20 times and even planned to make himself look “crazy” in order to receive medication there.
