The arraignment of Rob Reiner’s son over the killing of his parents has been delayed after his high-profile defence lawyer withdrew from the case.
A judge agreed to Alan Jackson’s request to exit the case during a Los Angeles Superior Court hearing on Wednesday, at which Nick Reiner, 32, was expected to be arraigned and enter a plea.
The hearing took place roughly three weeks after actor-director Rob Reiner and his wife of 36 years, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead with stab wounds in their upscale home in Los Angeles.
Mr Jackson said “circumstances beyond our control’ were behind the move, without providing specifics.
He said he is “legally and ethically prohibited from explaining all the reasons” behind his decision, adding he expects Reiner’s public defender to “step in and very capably protect Nick Reiner’s interests”.
“We know the legal process will reveal the true facts of the circumstances surrounding this case,” Mr Jackson said.
Deputy public defender Kimberly Greene has now taken over as Nick Reiner’s lawyer, and the judge has delayed the arraignment until 23 February.
Nick Reiner appears in court on 7 January. Pic: Reuters
Ms Greene said she spoke to Reiner briefly on Wednesday morning to alert him of the change in his counsel.
She said Reiner was “understanding” of the situation.
During a brief court appearance, Reiner spoke only to agree to the delay.
He stood behind glass in a custody area of the courtroom, wearing a brown jail suit with his hair shaved.
At one point, Reiner stood on his tiptoes to peek over the lawyers’ heads and look at the audience.
Alan Jackson has called on the public not to ‘rush to judgment’. Pic: Reuters
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Nathan Hochman, district attorney for Los Angeles County, said his office will ensure Reiner’s new lawyer receives “all the facts necessary to effectively represent their client”.
“I’m fully confident that a jury will convict Nick Reiner beyond reasonable doubt of the brutal murder of his parents… and do so unanimously.”
Mr Hochman said the charges against Reiner carry a maximum sentence of the death penalty.
Execution is a legal punishment in several US states, including California, where Nick Reiner was arrested and will be tried.
The Reiner family released a statement following the change of legal representation. A spokesperson said: “They have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings.”
Rob Reiner, 78, and wife Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were killed early on the morning of 14 December in their home in the upscale Brentwood section of Los Angeles.
Authorities said they were found in the late afternoon and died from “multiple sharp force injuries”.
Before picking up the Reiner case, Alan Jackson had represented high-profile clients, including convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein during his 2022 trial.
Mr Jackson also defended Kevin Spacey in a 2019 sexual assault case, in which the actor faced allegations of groping an 18-year-old man.
The charges were subsequently dropped by prosecutors.
