The sudden exit of celebrity defense attorney Alan Jackson from Nick Reiner’s murder case raised immediate questions inside a Los Angeles courtroom — and among legal experts watching closely from the sidelines.
Reiner, 32, the son of acclaimed filmmaker Rob Reiner, appeared in court Wednesday when Jackson announced he and his firm were withdrawing after only three weeks representing the accused double murder suspect, according to the New York Post.
Jackson, who recently secured an acquittal for Karen Read in the high-profile killing of her police officer boyfriend, declined to explain the decision. But veteran criminal defense attorneys and former prosecutors say the reason is likely straightforward: money.
“In the business, we say Mr. Green didn’t show up,” said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who has represented high-profile clients in civil litigation.
Rahmani described Jackson as one of the top defense lawyers in the country — and one whose services come at an extraordinary price.
“For a case like this, he’s going to charge at least a seven-figure retainer,” Rahmani said.
According to Rahmani, Reiner simply does not have the financial means to sustain that level of representation. He pointed to the fact that Reiner had been living in a guesthouse on his parents’ Brentwood property and noted California’s Slayer Statute.
“You kill your parents — you’re disinherited,” Rahmani said.
Defense attorney Seth Zuckerman, who has represented actors Jonathan Majors and Paul Haggis, agreed that finances likely drove the change, especially given how quickly a public defender was appointed.
“If they had the financial resources they would go hire another private attorney,” Zuckerman said.
Criminal defense lawyer Mark Bederow echoed that assessment, saying Jackson almost certainly did not want to step aside.
“It’s clear [Jackson] didn’t want to,” Bederow said. “A representation like this could cost an extraordinary sum of money. Probably the money is not there.”
Nick Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder in the alleged stabbing deaths of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, on Dec. 14. Prosecutors allege he fled the scene after the killings.
Earlier that night, Reiner reportedly argued with his parents at Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party, possibly over substance abuse issues and his refusal to return to rehab. He has reportedly completed 17 stints in treatment.
Because the case involves two victims, it is eligible for life in prison or the death penalty, though District Attorney Nathan Hochman has not said whether he will pursue capital punishment. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2019 moratorium on executions remains in effect.
Legal experts widely agree the case is unlikely to become a death penalty prosecution.
“There is no way this is going to end up being a death penalty case,” Bederow said.
Attention now appears to be shifting toward Reiner’s mental health. He is being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility’s mental health unit and was recently taken off suicide watch.
“The defense in this case is likely mental health,” Zuckerman said.
After leaving the case, Jackson told reporters: “Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder.”
Bederow noted the careful wording.
“He would not be literally innocent but he would be legally not guilty,” he said.
Reiner’s arraignment has been postponed until Feb. 23 following Jackson’s withdrawal.
