Nick Reinerthe lawyer of Alan Jackson he surprisingly waived his representation for his parents’ trial Rob Reiner i Michele Singer ReinerThe murders of him, and lawyers are weighing why it may have happened.
During Nick’s court appearance on Wednesday, January 7, Jackson revealed that he had withdrawn from the case. Due to the change of counsel, Nick did not enter a plea as expected, and his appearance was brought forward to Monday, February 23. Now it will be represented by a public defender Kimberly Greene.
Shortly after making the announcement, Jackson I was talking to reporters outside court, but did not explain the reasons for the decision.
“Circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control, have dictated that, unfortunately, it has made it impossible for us to continue our representation of Nick,” Jackson said. “I’m legally and ethically prohibited from explaining all the reasons why, I know it’s a question on everyone’s mind.”
Nick Reiner’s former attorney, Alan Jackson, dodged questions about the murder suspect’s finances as he entered court for what was supposed to be his arraignment. “Alan, who is paying for Nick’s defense?” A reporter could be heard asking Jackson as he got out of his vehicle at Los Angeles Superior Court and walked toward the (…)
Although Jackson did not provide an explanation, criminal defense attorney RJ Dreiling and entertainment lawyer Tre Lovell have given some insight as to why this might happen.
Keep scrolling for a full breakdown of why Jackson might have stepped down as Nick’s lawyer:
Why was Nick Reiner arrested?
Nick Reiner was arrested in December 2025, one day after his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their home in Brentwood, California, with apparent stab wounds. The couple died at the ages of 78 and 70, respectively.
Nick was later charged with two counts of first degree murder. Jackson, who represented Karen Read, was hired to defend Nick. During Nick’s first court appearance, Jackson was by his side. Nick did not enter a plea and his appearance was brought forward to January 7.
Nick and Jackson appeared in court again in January, where the lawyer announced that he decided to quit. A public defender was appointed to Nick’s case. Nick ultimately did not enter a plea, and his appearance was pushed.
He is still being held in jail without bond. If convicted, he faces life in prison or the death penalty.
Why Alan Jackson may have stepped down
Tre Lovell, who runs The Lovell Firm, admitted that Alan Jackson’s “retirement was a bit of a surprise”.
“Traditionally, attorneys may choose to withdraw from criminal defense cases for a number of reasons, which could include financial issues or doubts about getting involved based on the evidence and chances of success,” Lovell told Us Weekly. “Furthermore, in cases where the defendant is mentally challenged or disabled, which often occurs in matters involving an insanity defense, there may be an inherent difficulty in allowing the defendant to participate in his defense and/or assist in his case.”
Lovell added that in some situations, a defense attorney might have “client issues” that could lead to dropping the case.
RJ Dreiling, who has represented Milton Andersen, the Menendez brothers’ uncle, added that Jackson is a well-regarded attorney in the legal community.
“Alan is an excellent lawyer not only in court, but in the way he works a case. I wouldn’t discount anything he says,” Dreilling told Us. “That said, the prosecutors handling the case are in an elite division of the most prestigious prosecutor’s offices in the country, so I don’t doubt for a second that they are doing their due diligence.”
Should Nick Reiner retain his public defender?
Although Kimberly Greene was appointed to Nick Reiner’s case, she could hire a new attorney if she wanted to.
“Every defendant has a right to a public defender,” RJ Dreiling said. “That doesn’t mean Reiner can’t get a private attorney at some point.”
What could happen after Nick Reiner?
RJ Dreiling theorized that Nick Reiner could “plead not guilty by reason of insanity” as a potential defense.
“Your attorney will want to preserve that defense. Sometimes if that plea isn’t entered at the beginning, it can be difficult to change the plea down the road,” he explained. “But there is no difficulty in abandoning the insanity defense and instead challenging the elements of the case if the evidence so warrants.”
Dreiling added that the prosecution could be “waiting for the possibility of capital punishment.” (Capital punishment, which includes the death penalty, is legal in California, but executions have been halted by a 2019 governor’s moratorium.)
“One of the reasons they’re doing it, regardless of the governor’s moratorium, is to take advantage of a plea deal,” the attorney shared. “On the other hand, a plea of insanity gives strength to the defense because this is a complete defense that can lead to acquittal.”
Lovell added that while the prosecution must persuade a jury that the defendant committed a crime, the defendant’s team must prove the insanity case by a “preponderance of the evidence.”
“That means they really have to present witnesses, provide medication documentation and provide evidence to support their claim,” Lovell explained. “This can include medical reports, psychiatric reports and even lay witnesses who talk about how the person was behaving.”
For Nick’s situation, Lovell theorized that both sides would “interview witnesses from Conan O’Brienthe party to see what they observed about Nick’s behavior. (Nick attended the comedian’s holiday party with his parents the night before his death. A source said we exclusively at the time that Nick acted “creepy” at the event, while other outlets reported that Nick had several altercations with his father and the actor. Bill Hader.)