LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A high-profile lawyer representing Nick Reiner withdrew from the double-murder case during a hearing Wednesday morning in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, where Reiner was being arraigned in connection with the murders of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner.
Attorney Alan Jackson unexpectedly informed the presiding judge that he was no longer representing the 32-year-old Reiner, who was then assigned a public defender.
Jackson is under a protective order to not talk about the case.
The hearing is ongoing.
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Nick Reiner, the son of director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, is expected back in court Wednesday to be arraigned on first-degree murder charges.
Reiner, 32, the youngest of Rob Reiner’s four children, is accused of killing his parents at their Brentwood home last month. He was ordered to remain behind bars at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles without bail following his first court appearance on Dec. 17, when he wore shackles and a suicide prevention smock.
He could enter a not guilty plea by reason of insanity. According to ABC News sources, law enforcement and defense attorneys have been piecing together Nick’s psychiatric and substance abuse history.
He was reportedly removed from suicide watch ahead of his arraignment.
Nick Reiner has been charged with the murders of his parents, renowned director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer, officials announced on Tuesday.
Reiner’s attorney, Alan Jackson, has given no indication of the plans for his defense. Nearly all defendants in criminal cases plead not guilty at this stage. Jackson could also ask for another delay before a plea is entered.
If Nick Reiner pleads not guilty, the case would normally head toward a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence for him to stand trial. His mental competence for trial could also be a factor.
A decade ago, Nick Reiner publicly discussed his severe struggles with addiction and mental health after making a movie with his father, “Being Charlie,” that was very loosely based on their lives.
Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were killed early on the morning of Dec. 14, and they were found in the late afternoon, authorities said. The L.A. 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.
The counts against Reiner come with special circumstances of multiple murders and an allegation that he used a dangerous weapon, a knife. The additions could mean a greater sentence.
Prosecutors have said they have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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