Star Lawyer Walks Away From Nick Reiner Case, Leaving More Questions Than Answers
Guest post
The high-powered defense attorney representing Nick Reiner, son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, abruptly withdrew from the double murder case Wednesday, forcing a delay in Reiner’s arraignment and raising new questions about what is happening behind the scenes. A Los Angeles judge immediately appointed a public defender and pushed the arraignment to February 23, leaving Reiner standing behind glass in a brown jail jumpsuit with no plea entered.
Sudden exit, no real explanation
In a brief hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court, attorney Alan Jackson told Judge Theresa McGonigle that his team had “no choice” but to ask to be relieved as counsel. Outside the courthouse, Jackson said “circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control” made it “impossible” to continue, adding that he was legally and ethically barred from saying more.
Legal analysts note that such last-minute withdrawals can stem from conflicts of interest, financial disputes, breakdowns in the attorney-client relationship, or other ethical constraints, but in this case, no on-the-record reason has been disclosed. The court also sealed a defense subpoena list Jackson had already issued, keeping the names of at least 10 individuals or entities his team had been probing out of public view for now.
From star counsel to public defender
With Jackson’s exit, Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene was assigned to take over the case on the spot. Greene told the court she had only spoken to Reiner for roughly 30 seconds before the hearing and requested more time to get up to speed, prompting the judge to reschedule the arraignment to late February.
Reiner, 32, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the fatal stabbings of his parents at their Brentwood home, where they were found dead in November. He remains held without bail and has yet to enter a formal plea.
Jackson still says Reiner is “not guilty”
Despite walking away, Jackson went out of his way to publicly insist he believes Reiner did not commit murder under California law. “We have examined this case thoroughly from every angle,” he told reporters, saying Reiner is “not guilty” of the murder charges even as he refused to explain why he was stepping aside.
Prosecutors have said they stand by the charges and expect to convince a jury, framing the case as a straightforward double homicide by the couple’s son in their upscale Los Angeles neighborhood. The Reiner family, through a spokesperson, has said only that they “have the utmost trust in the legal process” and will not comment further on the proceedings.
What the withdrawal means going forward
The immediate consequence of Jackson’s withdrawal is delay: the arraignment is now set for February 23, buying Greene a few weeks to review discovery and decide on strategy before Reiner enters any plea. A shift from a well-resourced private defense team to an overburdened public defender’s office also changes the dynamics of a case that was already drawing intense media scrutiny because of the Reiner name.
At the same time, the secrecy around Jackson’s departure – paired with his emphatic statement that Reiner is not guilty – will fuel speculation about what “circumstances” forced him off the case, and whether they relate to money, conflicts, or something else entirely.
So….the crazy was genetic…….not surprised a bit……..
He is a meat-head
Dead from the neck up
gonna put money on him getting molested as a child?
He may have saved his career, having performed a nearly perfect defense of Karen Read! I was shocked to learn he was Reiners lawyer.
NICK, JUST TELL THE TRUTH, EXPOSE THE PEDOPHILE DARK UNDERBELLY OF HOLLYWOOD INSTITUTIONALIZED SATANISM IN THE HOMOWOOD INDUSTRY.
NICK REINER !!!
DO THE WORLD A FAVOR AND BURN HOMOWOOD TO THE GROUND !!!
THEY USED YOU; NOW DESTROY THEM !!!
should've called the lincoln lawyer
it will be Trumps fault in 3…2…1…
That's a tough one for Lefty lawyers…..defend a Lefty from killing their famous Lefty parents. Throw him under the bus…..or another corrupt OJ trial?
Nick the slasher can't recieve $$$$ under California law. If you are accused of murdering your parents you can not recieve any part of the estate. The lawyer wasn't going to get paid so he bailed.
But what happens if that person is found not guilty?
Typically, public defenders are at the bottom of the lawyer food chain, with relatively little experience, and pay. They almost always either tell their "clients" to plead guilty, or try to work out some plea bargain with the prosecution. However, this case may be high enough profile, that Greene might want to use it to make a name for herself, and grandstand during trial.
Daddy may have not given Nick access to his loot. And he's probably not even in the will.
The is a law in many states that forbid a slayer from inheriting anything from their victims. I think California is one of them.
This part of his court statement really intrigues me….re: 'but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control” made it “impossible” to continue…". Who on the other side of these murders knows details about Reiner seniors past that they are afraid will come out during discovery or in court testimony?
I bet on money.
Guess the inheritance isn't going to go to Nick and this lawyer doesn't see a windfall in his future.
A guy like Alan Jackson may have got Nick Reiner off on inadmissible evidence tampering/gathering or just muddied the waters just enough to get a hung jury.
Or some time serving out an insanity plea in a mental institution.
But the most likely scenario is that either the money ran out or the funding was pulled. It's highly doubtful that Alan Jackson couldn't poke any holes in the murder investigation. There's always something for a smart lawyer to go after.
Now documentary in the works. Killin' Meathead.
Well he is a dead broke homeless person with no money and I doubt his brother and sister want to pay for his attorney. Maybe he is supposed to inherit money but his family is probably fighting that and I don't even know if the law allows you to inherit millions from the people you killed.
FJB FKH FFBI FDOJ!!!
No $. Defense: Insanity.
What does he need an attorney for, he's going to prison for life regardless.
And the lawyer said :
“ No $Dough$, I Go”
If he is walking away , why would he say he thought he was "not guilty " . Doesn't that taint the jury pool , is that ethical , is it a ploy to change the outcome ? Is he going to step back in later ?
Financial reasons no doubt. Murdering the parents probably triggers a clause in both inheritance and insurance circles, plus the case is unwinnable unless he was going to push the "insanity* angle.
Democrats are crazy, that's the answer.
Here's the bumper sticker version: "Cra-Cra son did it/guilty. The End."
Who is mad at Jackson, besides maybe the defendant?
No more access to daddy’s piggy bank.
If the reason isn’t about money for the attorney, with him saying that he believes that Nick is not guilty, then what they learned during discovery was that they know who actually did commit the crimes and representing Nick is either a conflict of interest or the actual perpetrator(s) are way higher up on the chain and the lawyer was intimidated / threatened.
All possible, but I doubt we’ll ever know why the attorney withdrew so suddenly.
Walking away because he is not getting paid.
And not b/c he is a father/mother killer!
In other words, the attorney found out there was no access to the Reiner estate and no $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
The guy has no money. Thats why the lawyer walked. They dont work for free or pro-bono unless its court ordered.
Lawyer feared Nick might slash his pay.
Psychology101: Rob Reiner (and his wife) spent decades unsuccessfully trying to understand and help their psychotic son. It reached the point that Rob could no longer bear to deal with the powerlessness and pain of the issue in his own house, so he found an outside "villain" to demonize: Donald Trump.
So, you're saying it's Trumps fault!?
Don't let NBC hear that. You WILL be quoted as "Sources say" tomorrow!
"He's innocent, but yeah, I'm outta here!"
He is just proving that he is a bag of scum, on his way out.
Being a Solicitor, he can't help himself.
Money, ladies nd gentlemen……MONEY!
Nick is probably broke and has nothing. Can't inherit if found guilty because he killed his parents, who DID have money. Evidence must be pretty conclusive or the lawyer, if he thought he had a chance of winning, would have stuck around for a big big payoff.
Mo Money, Mo Problems.
NO Money, MUCH more Problems.
What? Nick is broke?
B'bye Meathead Jr.
California has a "slayer statute" that prevents a murder from inheriting from their murder victim. So if sonny boy Nick was broke and demanding money from his parents to support his lifestyle (drugs?), then Nick is broke and has no way to pay his high-priced lawyer.
I've learned that from an episode of Columbo.
Lol
The trust he had probably is forfeit since he killed his parents……
I'm sure, he could have turned it around if the checks had cleared.
He didn’t get his check.
Or it bounced.
It's a damn "law-yer"………..need anything else be said……………
The attorney saw that Nick Reiner is too white to get away with murder and too poor. OJ however…
$$$$$ is my guess
Just spitballing but he probably found out Nick has no access to his parent's estate.
Nick has a brother and sister. It appears that the high dollar lawyer stuck around just long enough to figure out that the siblings WON'T help. Either with defense money OR access to estate money.
It seems like Reiner's lawyer, Alan Jackson, got so excited about defending a big celebrity murderer that he forgot if Reiner is found guilty he can't inherit.
"Jackson still says Reiner is “not guilty”
Then why didn't Jackson stay on the case?
He wasn't going to be paid. California law says you can't gain an inheritance if you murder someone that has you in their will.
No questions, actually a clear answer to the perennial question in these cases:
"Why on earth would any attorney deliberately try to defend the obviously guilty?"
What you mean no doe$! I got to go!
Lawyers are all about the money
Sounds like the son didn't have any money in his account. Also, he's playing to the mental health defense.
I'll take a stab at it…….money.
Obviously realized the kid if freakin nutz
I don’t think those accused of murder are allowed to use windfalls from their actions, like inheritance from killing mommy & daddy, for their defense.
No Moolah, No Powerful Attorney. Too bad. So sad.
And, apparently, the brother and sister aren't willing to up any money to help.
His ex-lawyer looks like the Devil in person on that picture.
He should just plead guilty. He’s not going to be put to death. Gov HairGel won’t let that happen. He was a friend of the Reiners. They were Trump haters together.
He obviously don't like losing
The way it turned out, it's possible Nick wasn't involved in the murders. I hope his defense subpoenas Alan Jackson during the trial, so he can testify.
He confessed.
No, he is diagnosed as mentally ill.. I’m wondering if he didn’t know if he did it or not. As far as video footage , he left Conan O’Brians house, on foot? In a car? Then he was filmed about 10:30 pm walking down the street. I don’t know, here’s something curious about it. Were they murdered after he left, or what?
That is not the same as criminally insane. He knew what he was doing. He knew right from wrong.
LOL.
No money and no chance of anything other than life in prison. I wouldn't waste my time either.
No access to the money. Public defender is for people who cannot afford a lawyer.
They don't want the truth about why Nick did what Nick did and Nick won't play.
Murder is still murder, even if you don't understand that you did it because of drug influence and anger.
follow the Money……..or lack of it !!!
Serious question:
is this guy related to Joran van der Sloot, the guy who whacked Natalie Halloway and that Peruvian girl?
Pretty easy explanation. The estate will not pay this lawyer. The dopehead son has no money. The lawyer quit.
When people are guilty they should just be considered guilty have the short trial no drawn out process with lawyers with their loopholes just be done safe taxpayer money.
Ya just forget all those constitutional protections!
No money, no celebrity lawyer. I expect the terms of daddy's will stipulate that Nick gets nothing if Rob and his wife are murdered, or die under mysterious circumstances.
Most likely Reiner went batshit cray cray during consultation. Prolly said, “are you a lawyer? Are you a good lawyer? Huh? Huh?”
Typical lawyer- not guilty. Junkies allowed to roam free do things, like take lives.
Sometimes money isn't enough to get wrapped in an intelligence agency asset's murder.
His client most likely admitted guilt.
How can you defend someone you KNOW is guilty?
Jackson didn't want the "L" on his record. The kid is guilty.
The answer is simple, the family did not want to pay. The proof is the fact he got a public defender, not a new private attorney. Next is the simple statement from the family.
Jackson was really mad he had the rug (money) pulled out from under him.
It's not about the $$$! Reiner's estate is valued at least $200 million… Rich folk's problems….
Maybe Mr. Karma called and said he was still in the neighborhood.
Too many big wigs in Hollywood and the democrat party putting ton's of pressure on him to walk away from the murderer of one of their own. Had the wacko brutally murdered some high level Republican they would have been rolling out the red carpet.
The Reiners did a horrible job raising their drug-addled son by instilling in him the same hatred and vitriol that infected Rob.
The Reiners did a horrible job raising their drug-addled son by instilling in him the same hatred and vitriol that infected Rob.
Despite walking away, Jackson went out of his way to publicly insist he believes Reiner did not commit murder under California law.
Nick Reiner didn't commit murder, his other personality Sheila did while his other drug addled personality Spicoli urged Sheila on. Meanwhile his Liarlawyer looked at the will and saw that Nick didn't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of therefore he was bailing on Meathead Jr.
Beyond Nick's control might simply mean he has no access to funds to pay legal fees. But I find it interesting about the subpoenas list being sealed. Are we looking at a "Menendez defense"???? Was Nick abused not only by his parents, but also by others in Hollywood???? Time may tell…or not.
Most likely da LAUYER Scum was worried he wouldn't git paid!
That actually makes sense, oh well this is how public defenders rise in the ranks.
If you are selling your soul then you should be entitled to be paid…
How many pieces of silver is the going rate today in Commiefornia?
A LOT, I'm afraid.
Probably so.
I’m a silversmith. When I got started in 2017-ish, silver was around $16, and stayed between $20 and $26 for the next 8 years. Today its at $87! Yikes!
I started buying silver around then so I'm pretty pleased. And not selling a thing, it will go a lot higher.
I read or watched something a month or so ago that for a certain measure of silver in 1900 in Paris, France you could buy a fine tailored suit, shirt, silk tie & handkerchief, and shoes. The economist said for the same amount of silver you could do the same today.
His point was that precious metals aren’t a fiat currency.
The “AI”equipment and electric cars demand are really driving up the cost.
Nice to hear someone actually having a craft, wish you well.
That’s really interesting!
And, thank you. I took it up when I retired.
Attorney like that probably gets $5000 an hour.
That’s how much big shot real estate attorneys get when doing commercial negotiations.
My real estate attorney who only deals in residential gets $600 an hour.
It involves Guido holding you upside down by your ankles and shaking briskly.
Doth Guido frow you to the gwownd wather wuffly?
As lawyers say: Mr. Green didn’t show up.
Dramatic headline, but no money means no service!
Occam's razor.
Nothing in it for him except for a hit to his reputation when he loses. Perhaps he thought the leftist loons would support him. Not living in the real world. People on the left actually liked Meathead. No one likes an entitled junkie.
These guys don't do pro-bono work, and Nick is broke.
I think it was probably more to do with having a loss on his record. Reiner obviously has money, if his parents had a will giving him their assets, irregardless of him killing them, those assets would go to him still. It’s possible because of the murder they’re refusing to follow the will because they’re likely claiming the murder was inheritance related
Or realizes he'll lose the case…and not get paid.
With not getting paid being his #1 concern.
Lawyers and working ladies…both will do or say anything for $$$.
But on the other hand neither will do anything for free.
Wouldn't his privately obtained lawyer get paid either way?
Fay
If he has no personal wealth than his fancy lawyer can choose to work for the same going rate the State would pay to a public defender.
And it appears his fancy lawyer decided that he’s NOT going to work for public defender money.
So fancy lawyer walked and now junior gets a Public Defender to either try the “criminally insane” route or work a deal to plead guilty in exchange for life in prison w’no parole and they take capital punishment off the table…as capital punishment is still on the books and after all Newsom won’t be in power forever.
Everyone has to remember that while the kid is a “Reiner” he took out a leftwing elite and because of his erratic drug fueled past the leftwing powers that be are probably OK with sacrificing Reiner’s kid as a warning to anyone else who even thinks of messing with Hollywood liberal elite (and thus why his fancy lawyer was allowed to bolt for the door).
You can be sure that the kid had went off on any conservative, independent or even a minor leftwinger, with Dad still around, the leftwingers would have surrounded their wagons around him and protected him from his own actions at all costs.
But Dad, and his money, isn’t around to protect him anymore and thus he can be made an example of.
You may be right.
He saw all the money and assets were going to be locked up for undetermined amount of time. C-Ya
Lol
AAbsolutely 100% Correct
It's more than that…. he knew he wouldn't win And then after that, he wouldn't get paid…. Attorneys only bail out of a case. If they don't have a chance to win, And with that being that they might not get paid
Money, and Alan Jackson is basically a pu sz EY.
Or his idiot client admitted he was guilty and that some of the evidence was fake in his defense, etc. Lawyers can get into trouble for making legal arguments ore presenting evidence they factually know is untrue. Most of the time this happens when clients are caught lying to their lawyers.
Meathead's next role the ghost of liberals past.
Nick is going to make a beautiful wife to some lucky prisoner.
Someone from the Law Firm knows something they aren't supposed to know.
Money.
Almost certainly.
My guess is that the lawyer's initial retainer was paid by some family friend stupid enough to think that this was 'all just a mistake', but then stopped paying the lawyer when they found out that no, he's guilty.
The fact that he went to a public defender pretty much confirms it was money.
Yepper
And, Jackson, having time to evaluate the facts pertaining to the crime, realizes the odds of not guilty in any form are near zero, meaning no chance of inheritance.
I disagree.
Not guilty by reason of insanity is pretty much a guaranteed verdict.
Still no Inheritance, thus no money.
Yes, there’s a California law I saw in another article about the case. No dollars for kids who off a parent. Probably came as a result of the Menendez brothers case. But does it count for insanity verdicts? I am not sure.
Evidently the high dollar lawyer doesn’t want to take a chance. Some news source said he wanted a 7 figure retainer. He literally walked out on the perp when they were in court for the first appearance. Left him standing there.
If my AI browser bot is correct, he cannot collect on the estate if found not guilty by insanity plea.
Cool. Thx for the info.
Apparently, this attorney is really smart.
No point going down a rabbit hole that starts and ends with "losing".
Oh, and did I mention money?
No money from family or no chance of winning…
He has a sister or two. If he stays in jail, the inheritance split just got bigger.
Got some free publicity. Simple as that.
The kid either had no money to pay him or the lawyer looked at the case and decided it was unwinnable. Or both.
If oj can murder two people and walk, why not nick?
Oh, and the glove DID fit, just not with his fingers spread wide.
marcia clark was an idiot.
O.J. was the right color and yes, Marcia Clark will forever be known for missing a slam dunk.
Son has no access to dads wallet.
It would appear to be a probable scam to garner questions as to the guilt or the reasons for the killings after the lawyers finding out the son is not going to inherit anything.
Looks Boy Reiner has zero money, and cannot inherent if found guilty, which is a near certainty. He got some money from Grandad's estate, but surely squandered it. Could not even afford his own place. And murdering Meathead and his wife in their sleep points to forethought and premeditation. No lawyer word salad can save him from the up coming consequences.
Likely because Reiner’s kid immediately fessed up to doing the dirty deed or there’s no money in the coffers for the lawyers to pocket.
—Honest Metro “real’ Cop, retired—
If Nick is anything like his father, he's crazier than a pet coon.
AJ lost probably in the millions defending Karen Read which was admirable and heroic of him, after all, she was framed. But he can't do that two times in a row, especially for someone like this.
Jackson knows that Reiner is guilty as hell and doesn't want a check in the loss column.
I don’t be gettin’ paid, so I’m not goin’ to defend dis murderer.
Don't care. He allegedly killed his gravy train. Let him experience the same justice other less elite people get.
Innocent until proven broke.
…
Rob Reiner's estate obviously doesn't want to pay him.
Can you blame them?
I don’t know. I think it doesn’t really matter who his lawyer is, in the end. He will be found not guilty by reason of insanity, or whatever the legal language is. Probably housed in a mental facility for the rest of his life, on the California taxpayers’ dime.
No way, Dems will run him for Congress.
He’s innocent…the knife went off by itself!
in other words he isn’t getting of his dead parents wealth so…………no high priced lawyer
Good job! I didn’t buy my little stack until they were $30. :( boo
I bought a hoard at 30 and I’m still happy I did.
I am too. I just wish id bought more.
It’s never enough.
Reiner is a psychopath and needs to be institutionalized for life. Had his parents done that, they would still be alive.
The lawhore(s) see the writing on the wall. Why would family defend a nutcase and his lawhore when they know sonny boy is toast. If the family is anything close to resembling the mindset of Meathead, lots of arguing, lots of delays, lots of slow payments…