Nick Reiner’s former lawyer, Alan Jackson, dodged questions about the murder suspect’s finances while entering the courthouse for what was supposed to be his arraignment.
“Alan, who’s paying for Nick’s defense?” one reporter could be heard asking Jackson as he got out of his vehicle at the Los Angeles Superior Court and walked toward the building on Wednesday, January 7. Jackson did not answer the question, instead gesturing for the crowd to let his team through to enter through the glass door. Nick was initially expected to make a plea that morning.
Over an hour later, it was confirmed that Jackson was stepping down as Nick’s defense attorney in the case of the murders of his parents, Rob and Michele Singer Reiner. Public defender Kimberly Greene will be representing Nick, 32, from here on out. He remains in jail.
“As you know, this morning, I had to withdraw as Nick Reiner’s counsel,” Jackson told reporters outside of the courthouse after the hearing. “Circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control, have dictated that, sadly, it’s made it impossible for us to continue our representation of Nick.”
Jackson continued, “I’m legally and I’m ethically prohibited from explaining all the reasons why, I know that’s a question on everyone’s mind. We expect the public defender to step in, they’ve already been appointed and very carefully protect Nick Reiner’s interests as he moves forward through the system.”
Jackson assured the crowd that he and his consultants “remain deeply committed” to Nick’s “best interests.”
“In fact, we know, we’re not just convinced, we know that the legal process will reveal the true facts of the circumstances surrounding Nick’s case,” Jackson continued. “What we’ve learned, and you can take this to the bank, is that, pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder.”
Following the change in legal counsel, Nick’s arraignment was pushed to February 23. He is expected to make a plea at the upcoming hearing. The Reiner family spoke out in a statement after the change in legal counsel and delay.
“They have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings,” a spokesperson for the Reiner family said in a statement to the New York Times on Wednesday.
Nick was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder after his parents, Rob and Michele, aged 78 and 70, respectively, were found dead in their Brentwood, California, home on December 14. He is facing life in prison without parole or the death penalty if convicted.
Nick first appeared in court three days after his arrest with Jackson at his side, telling the judge that his client would not yet be entering a plea. Nick wore a suicide prevention vest during the appearance but was later taken off of suicide watch, per multiple reports.
“This is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family,” Jackson told reporters in a statement after the appearance. “We all recognized that our hearts go out to the entire Reiner family. There are very very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case. Those need to be thoroughly, but very carefully dealt with and examined and looked at and analyzed.”
“We asked that [muffled] process you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed to move forward, not with a rushed judgment, not with jumping to conclusions, but with restraint and with dignity, and with the respect that this system and this process deserves and that the family deserves,” the statement continued. “So with that we are set for January 7 for an arraignment that’s the next court date and that’s all I have to say at this point there may be more at some other point but today we are going to rest on where we stand procedurally, which is this is a continuance of arraignment. Nothing happened today substantively. We’ll be back for an arrangement in the same department on 7 January, We’ll see you then.”
