The arraignment of Nick Reiner, son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, was postponed on Wednesday after his attorney withdrew from the case, even as the lawyer insisted his former client was not guilty of murder, AFP reported.
Reiner, 32, faces two counts of first‑degree murder in the stabbing deaths of his parents - a double killing that shocked Hollywood in mid-December. He was arrested on December 14 after the bodies of his father, filmmaker Rob Reiner, 79, and his mother, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were found in their Brentwood home in Los Angeles. Prosecutors say both were stabbed to death.
Reiner, who has a history of addiction, had been scheduled for arraignment, the stage at which defendants are formally informed of the charges and typically enter a plea. But the hearing was halted when the court was informed that attorney Alan Jackson was no longer representing him.
The judge appointed a public defender and set February 23 as the new arraignment date.
Jackson told reporters he was “legally and ethically" unable to explain his withdrawal.
“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," he said.
Jackson added that he and his team remained committed to Reiner’s best interests and expressed confidence in the legal process.
“We've investigated this matter top to bottom, back to front. 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 in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder."
If convicted, Reiner could face life without parole or the death penalty, though California rarely carries out executions.
Reiner lived in a guest house on his parents’ property and had attended a party with them at comedian Conan O’Brien’s home on December 13, where some guests reportedly noted erratic behavior.
According to The New York Times, the couple had been scheduled to dine with former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama on Sunday evening and had booked an in‑home massage for that day. When they did not answer the door, the therapist contacted their daughter, Romy Reiner. She arrived with a friend, discovered her father’s body, and called emergency services, who informed her that her mother was also deceased.
Police arrested Nick Reiner several miles from the home later that night.