Nick Reiner’s Lawyer Withdraws From the Case
Nick Reiner made his second court appearance today, but his arraignment didn’t go as planned. His lawyer, Alan Jackson, known for representing Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, said he is removing himself from the case. “I feel we have no choice but to withdraw,” Jackson told Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Theresa McGonigle, per the New York Times. Jackson did not publicly clarify why he felt the need to withdraw. In his place, public defender Kimberly Greene will work on Reiner’s case and represent him at the new arraignment date scheduled for February 23.
“It’s not possible for us to continue our representation,” Jackson said outside the courtroom, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Jackson also clarified that he is barred from discussing the reasons for his withdrawal, saying it was due to “circumstances beyond Nick’s control.” He added, “Pursuant to the law of California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that.”
Jackson’s original involvement was arranged by the Reiner family’s lawyers, a person close to the case told the Times. They emphasized that Jackson’s withdrawal was not due to his performance on the case. Joshua Ritter, an attorney who had previously worked at Jackson’s firm, speculated to the L.A. Times that it was over Jackson’s expensive fees, noting that “for someone to even qualify for the public defender’s office, they have to be indigent. So they have to provide some proof that they don’t have the means to hire someone else.” A spokesperson for the Reiners told the New York Times that the family members “have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings.”
Reiner is accused of murdering his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, who were stabbed to death in December. He is being charged with two counts of first-degree murder and, if convicted, faces the possibility of life in prison, without eligibility for parole, or even the death penalty. Los Angeles County district attorney Nathan Hochman said, “We’re fully confident that a jury will convict Nick Reiner beyond a reasonable doubt of the brutal murder of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, and do so unanimously.”
Related