Nick Reiner, the son of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, was scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday in a Los Angeles courtroom for the murder of his parents, but it was postponed following the news that his high-profile criminal defense lawyer, Alan Jackson, had dismissed himself from the case.
The case’s next court date was rescheduled for Feb. 23, and Judge Theresa McGonigle assigned Kimberly Greene, an attorney in the Los Angeles County public defender’s office, to the case.
Jackson told reporters outside the courthouse that he was legally prohibited from explaining why he had removed himself from the case, according to The New York Times.
Reiner, who was reportedly taken off suicide watch at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, where he is being held, still remains in solitary confinement, a source told People magazine.
He could potentially enter a plea at his next court appearance.
The 32-year-old is being charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances of his famous parents, who were killed in the early hours of Dec. 14, per the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The couple was discovered hours later in their home with multiple stab wounds.
If found guilty, the prosecution said Reiner could spend life in state prison without the possibility of parole, and potentially even be given a death sentence.
Nick is the second of three Reiner children Rob and Michelle Reiner had together. Following their parents’ death, Jake and Romy Reiner — the oldest and the youngest siblings — shared their heartbreak.
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” the siblings told People in a statement. “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.”
Since Reiner has been deemed the alleged killer of his parents, details regarding his mental health throughout his life have emerged, depicting a deeply troubled person who struggled with substance abuse.
Criminal defense attorney Seth Zuckerman told Fox News that Reiner’s attorneys will likely use this in their defense strategy. “His mental health and substance abuse will factor heavily into the defense strategy, as the defense will look to argue that he had diminished capacity or couldn’t form the intent necessary for murder charges,” Zuckerman said. “There may also be a ‘heat of passion’ defense in which the defense argues Nick experienced an uncontrollable rage as a result of an argument, and did not have time to cool off prior to, or premeditate, the killing, thus arguing for manslaughter as opposed to murder.”
