LOS ANGELES (TNND) — Nick Reiner is expected to appear in court on Monday to enter a plea in the killing of his parents, actor and director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
The arraignment was delayed in January after his previous attorney, high-profile private lawyer Alan Jackson, quit the case, citing circumstances beyond his and his client’s control. He said legal ethics would not allow him to say why, but in parting, he adamantly declared outside the courthouse that “pursuant to the laws of California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder.”
The 32-year-old has been held without bail since his arrest in December after his parents were found dead with stab wounds at their Los Angeles home.
FILE – Rob Reiner, right, and wife Michele Singer Reiner attend the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert at Radio City Music Hall on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Reiner was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders, as well as “fessing a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, that being a knife.” The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison or the death penalty.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said no decision has been made on the death penalty.
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 examined.
In the semi-autobiographical 2016 film “Being Charlie,” Rob and Nick explored their difficult relationship and Nick’s struggles with drugs and mental health.
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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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