LOS ANGELES, Jan 7 (Reuters) – A high-profile defense lawyer representing the son of slain Hollywood filmmaker Rob Reiner against charges that he murdered his parents abruptly withdrew from the case on Wednesday and was replaced, for the time being, by public defenders.
The surprise change in defense attorneys, which was not immediately explained, unfolded at a court hearing where Nick Reiner, 32, had been expected to enter a not-guilty plea in one of the most shocking celebrity homicide cases in Los Angeles history.
Instead, the arraignment was postponed for the second time in three weeks. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Theresa McGonigle rescheduled the proceeding for February 23 and ordered the defendant to remain held without bail.
The development marked the latest twist to the disquieting demise of Rob Reiner, a beloved Hollywood figure who gained fame by co-starring in the 1970s hit television comedy “All in the Family” and later directed a spate of popular films. He was also a prominent Democratic Party activist and donor.
Alan Jackson, a former prosecutor turned criminal defense attorney whose clients have included a number of onetime show-business luminaries, including disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein and actor Kevin Spacey, announced in court on Wednesday that he was quitting the case but gave no immediate reason.
“We feel we have no choice but to withdraw as counsel,” Jackson told the judge, adding that the public defender’s office was ready to step in to replace him, a move that the judge immediately approved.
‘PRINT THAT’
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing, Jackson did not elaborate on his withdrawal, but said of his former client, “pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that.”
District Attorney Nathan Hochman, appearing separately, countered: “We are fully confident that a jury will convict Nick Reiner beyond a reasonable doubt of the brutal murders of his parents.”
Public defender Kimberly Greene shed little additional light on the switch in defense teams, telling reporters that such changes were not uncommon. She added that she had spoken with Nick Reiner for about 30 seconds on Wednesday morning and that “he was understanding that there would be a change in counsel.”
A spokesperson for the Reiner family told Reuters by telephone: “They have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings.”
Nick Reiner, dressed in brown jail garb, spoke only when the judge asked if he agreed to waive his right to proceed with the arraignment on Wednesday and have it postponed for nearly seven weeks.
“Yeah, I agree with that,” he answered.
He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the fatal knife attack on his parents – actor-director Rob Reiner, 78, and photographer-producer Michele Reiner, 70. Their bodies were found on the afternoon of December 14 inside their West Los Angeles mansion. Prosecutors have said the pair were killed early that morning.
Authorities have disclosed few details about the circumstances of the crime and offered no explanation for what may have precipitated the killings. Autopsies found both victims died from “multiple sharp force injuries.”
If convicted as charged, Nick Reiner would face life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty.
The son was widely reported to have quarreled with his parents while the three were attending a holiday party hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien the night before the couple were found slain.
Nick Reiner, who has publicly acknowledged a years-long struggle with drug addiction and periods of homelessness, had lived in a guest house on his parents’ property. He was arrested near a downtown Los Angeles park several hours after their bodies were discovered.
The killings stirred an outpouring of dismay from Hollywood figures who Rob Reiner had worked with for decades as an actor, director and screenwriter, as well as within Democratic Party circles, where he was active in various political causes.
He and his wife, married in 1989, were found slain hours before a planned evening gathering with former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, according to the former first lady.
‘MEATHEAD’ TO DIRECTOR OF BELOVED FILMS
Nick Reiner’s battles with substance abuse and recurring stints in and out of rehabilitation programs since the age of 15 were the inspiration for the 2015 movie drama “Being Charlie,” in which the father and son collaborated as director and co-writer.
He is the younger of two sons and the second of three children by his parents.
As an actor, Rob Reiner was best remembered for his role on “All in the Family” as Mike “Meathead” Stivic, the son-in-law and liberal foil of the lead character, working-class bigot Archie Bunker, played by Carroll O’Connor.
Reiner went on to a prolific Hollywood career as a filmmaker, directing such popular movies as “This Is Spinal Tap,” “When Harry Met Sally …,” “The Princess Bride,” “Stand by Me,” “A Few Good Men,” “Misery” and “The American President.”
His final film, a sequel to the mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap,” was released in September, 41 years after the original.
His wife, Michele, was at one time a photographer who captured the image of Donald Trump that appears on the cover of his book “Trump: The Art of the Deal.” She and Rob Reiner met while he was directing “When Harry Met Sally…”
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Scott Malone and Matthew Lewis)
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