Celebrity attorney Alan Jackson has abruptly withdrawn from defending Nick Reiner against murder charges, leaving a public defender to take over the case.
Jackson made the announcement on Wednesday morning, Jan. 7, in a Los Angeles courtroom where Nick was scheduled to be arraigned for allegedly killing his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
“I, on behalf of Werksman Jackson & Quinn, with Mr. Reiner’s understanding and consent, would ask to withdraw as counsel of record,” Jackson said during the hearing. “We feel that we have no choice at this juncture but to withdraw as counsel and ask to be relieved.”
Jackson noted that the public defender’s office had been notified and attorneys from the office were there in court.
Deputy public defender Kimberly Greene confirmed that she was appearing “on behalf of Mr. Reiner,” and asked the judge to delay the arraignment.
The judge granted the request and set a Feb. 23 date for Reiner to enter his plea. The judge ordered Reiner to remain in custody without bail until his next court date.
[Nick Reiner, Alan Jackson and Kimberly Greene are shown in the image above]
Outside the courtroom, Jackson held a news conference and blamed “circumstances beyond our control” for his firm’s decision to drop the case.
The lawyer did not elaborate, saying he was “legally and ethically prohibited” from revealing why he was moving on.
Still, he said his firm remains “deeply committed to Nick Reiner.” Jackson criticized media coverage of the case and said he believes Nick is not guilty.
“What we’ve learned, and you can take this to the bank, is that pursuant to the laws of this state, pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that! Print that!” he said before walking away.
A legal expert told the New York Post Jackson likely dropped the case because of money, or Nick’s lack of it.
“In the business, we say Mr. Green didn’t show up,” said former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani. “Alan Jackson is one of the best… But for a case like this, he’s going to charge at least a seven-figure retainer.”
“Nick Reiner doesn’t have the money, if he did, he wouldn’t be living in his parents’ guesthouse. And under the California Slayer Statute, you kill your parents — you’re disinherited,” Rahmani added.
Meanwhile, Greene and fellow public defender Ricardo Garcia asked for “patience” in the case. Greene told reporters she had spoken with Reiner “this morning” and “he was understanding that there would be a change in counsel.”
Reiner, 32, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and a special circumstance of multiple murders. He also faces a special allegation that he allegedly used a dangerous and deadly weapon. He faces life in prison if convicted. No decision has been made regarding the death penalty, the district attorney has said.
In court, Nick appeared behind a barricade and wore a dark jumpsuit. He has a history of substance abuse and has been in and out of rehab since he was 15 years old. “I am a spoiled, white, rich kid from a Hollywood family,” he told NPR in 2016.
Rob Reiner, 78, and his photographer wife Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were found deceased on Dec. 14, inside their Los Angeles home.
The medical examiner said the two died from “multiple sharp force injuries.” Their manner of death was homicide.
The couple’s older children, Jake and Romy Reiner, released a statement saying they were heartbroken by their parents’ deaths.
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” the statement read. “The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
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