‘Print that’: Lawyer for Rob Reiner’s son quits case but says former client not guilty of murder

Los Angeles: The high-profile private lawyer for Nick Reiner was granted a request to be removed from his case, but later told reporters that according to California law his client is not guilty of murder in the killing of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.

“Circumstances beyond our control and more importantly circumstances beyond Nick’s control have dictated that, sadly, it’s made it impossible to continue our representation of Nick,” lawyer Alan Jackson said as he stood with his team outside a Los Angeles courthouse on Thursday (AEDT).

Rob Reiner and wife Michele Singer Reiner in March.Credit: AFP

But, Jackson added, after weeks of investigation, “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 of California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that.”

Jackson would not specify what he meant and took no questions at the brief news conference.

He spoke after a hearing where Nick Reiner was supposed to be arraigned and enter a plea to two charges of first-degree murder. Instead, after meeting with Judge Theresa McGonigle in chambers, Jackson was replaced by a public defender and Reiner’s plea hearing was postponed to February 23.

Nick Reiner has yet to plea on two charges of first-degree murder.Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

Alan Jackson can’t say why he had to quit case

Jackson said that for legal and ethical reasons, he could not reveal why he had to leave the case. He first appeared in court representing Nick Reiner at a hearing a few days after Rob Reiner, the beloved actor-director, and his wife of 36 years were found dead with stab wounds in their home in the upscale Brentwood section of Los Angeles. Jackson did not say how he was hired – or who hired him. Generally, defendants use public defenders when they can’t pay for a private attorney.

Jackson has become one of the most prominent defence lawyers in the US in recent years after defending clients including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and Karen Read at her intensely followed trials in Massachusetts.

After the judge granted Jackson’s request to leave the case, Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene took over as Reiner’s attorney.

“The Public Defender’s Office recognises what an unimaginable tragedy this is for the Reiner family and the Los Angeles community,” Deputy Public Defender Ricardo D Garcia said in a rare public statement on a case from the office. “Our hearts go out to the Reiner family as they navigate this difficult time. We ask for your patience and compassion as the case moves through the legal process.”

Alan Jackson leaves court after stepping down from the case.Credit: AP

Nick Reiner appears in jail clothes, without suicide prevention smock

During Wednesday’s hearing, Reiner stood behind glass in a custody area of the courtroom wearing brown jail garb and with his hair shaved. Two deputies stood behind him. Jackson and his team stood in front of him on the other side of the glass. At one point, Reiner stood on his tiptoes to peer over the lawyers’ heads to look at the audience. He spoke only to agree to the delayed arraignment.

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McGonigle approved the use of cameras inside the courtroom but said pictures could not be taken of the defendant. At the hearing, Reiner did not wear the suicide prevention smock he had on at his initial court appearance on December 17.

Reiner, 32, the third of Rob Reiner’s four children, has been held without bail since his arrest hours after his parents were found dead on December 14.

A Reiner family spokesperson said in a statement after the hearing that “They have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings.”

Jackson says he ‘dropped everything’ to represent Reiner

Jackson, a former LA County prosecutor, had given no indication of the plans for Reiner’s defence.

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He said that just hours after Nick Reiner’s arrest, he and his team got a call about representing him. He did not say who called him.

“We dropped everything,” Jackson said. “For the last three weeks, we have devoted literally every waking hour to protecting Nick and his interests. We’ve investigated this matter top to bottom, back to front.”

He said they remain “deeply, deeply committed” to him and said, “We’re not just convinced; we know that the legal process will reveal the true facts.”

Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were killed early on the morning of December 14, and they were found in the late afternoon, authorities said. The LA County Medical Examiner said in initial findings that they died from “multiple sharp force injuries” but released no other details, and police have said nothing about possible motives.

Prosecutors have said they have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty for Nick Reiner.

Rob Reiner was a prolific director whose work included some of the most memorable and endlessly watchable movies of the 1980s and ’90s. His credits included This is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, A Few Good Men, and When Harry Met Sally, during whose production he met Michele Singer, a photographer. They married soon after.

A decade ago, Nick Reiner publicly discussed his struggles with addiction and mental health after making a movie with his father, Being Charlie, that was very loosely based on their lives.

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