Nick Reiner’s lawyer, Alan Jackson, has spoken out after he withdrew from the case.
“As you know, this morning, I had to withdraw as Nick Reiner’s counsel,” Jackson said after Nick’s court hearing on Wednesday, January 7. “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 said that he and his team “remain deeply committed” to Nick and his “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,” he continued.
Jackson concluded, “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.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Jackson announced in court that he would be stepping down as Nick’s lawyer. Nick did not enter a plea, and his arraignment was pushed to February 23, 2026. He will now be represented by public defender Kimberly Greene.
Earlier this month, Nick’s parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their Brentwood, California, home. The couple died at ages 78 and 70, respectively.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,” a spokesperson for the family shared in a statement on December 14. “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
Rob and Michele’s official cause of death has been listed as “multiple sharp force injuries,” according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. Their deaths were ruled a homicide.
One day after news broke of Rob and Michele’s death, Nick was arrested on a murder charge. He was taken into custody without bail.
Los Angeles district attorney Nathan Hochman announced in a press conference on December 16 that Nick has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Nick is facing life in prison without parole or the death penalty. Jackson, who is best known for defending Karen Read, was subsequently hired to defend him in court.
On December 17, Nick appeared for the first time in court alongside Jackson. While Nick did not enter a plea, he addressed the judge when he waived his right to a fast arraignment. His arraignment was pushed to January 7.
Following the hearing, Jackson addressed the media, sharing it was “too early” for Nick to enter a plea.
“This is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family,” Jackson said. “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.”
Jackson continued, “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,” Jackson’s 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 January 7. We’ll see you then.”
That same day, Nick’s siblings Romy and Jake broke their silence on their parents’ tragic deaths. (In addition to Nick, Romy and Jake, Rob was also father to daughter Tracy, whom he adopted during his first marriage to late ex-wife Penny Marshall.)
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience,” Romy and Jake said in a statement per TMZ. “They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends. We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life.”
Romy and Jake also asked for privacy amid Nick’s ongoing legal proceedings.
“We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave,” they concluded.
