CA - Murder victims Identified as Rob Reiner and wife Michele - LA Dec 14 2025

[Seattle1]

If the siblings had agreed to pay the legal bill, but AJ had to step down, then the siblings could have arranged for another high profile attorney to step in.

But they went right to a public defender? That seems to mean that the family pulled back on their offer to pay the defense attorney ?

Very early, the family indicated they wanted NR locked up, but not in CA Dept of Corrections. They wanted him locked up in a medical facility, and this requires him being found guilty by reason of insanity.

IMO, at arraignment, if NR would not agree to enter this plea and/or this defense, this would explain the family pulling their financial support, and leaving his fate in the hands of a public defender.

California’s Insanity Defense: Criteria, Process, and Outcomes

Explore the criteria, legal process, and outcomes of California’s insanity defense, including mental health commitments and conditional release.

legalclarity.org

 

[keek]

Well AJ would have known by now how NR is. So I can buy the recent posts outlining the conflicts he would face if NR didn't understand that he is mentally ill, etc.

But why the ANGER. And apparently a sudden anger over something he would have seen coming within a few hours of consulting with NR. There was sudden anger today, causing him to unprofessionally stomp his little foot, verbally.

That's why I see the money involved. Denied. Anger that would not reach that level if it were simply more frustration with NR.

Imo

AJ is very, very passionate when it comes to justice being carried out, however it has to be, for whoever he is defending, he is all in. Something happened and we can be assured that NR's head /thinking can turn in an instant too. So far the family is letting the legal system do their thing, without AJ. Must of been some sort of division there. IMO

 

[keek]

Very early, the family indicated they wanted NR locked up, but not in CA Dept of Corrections. They wanted him locked up in a medical facility, and this requires him being found guilty by reason of insanity.

IMO, at arraignment, if NR would not agree to enter this plea and/or this defense, this would explain the family pulling their financial support, and leaving his fate in the hands of a public defender.

California’s Insanity Defense: Criteria, Process, and Outcomes

Explore the criteria, legal process, and outcomes of California’s insanity defense, including mental health commitments and conditional release.

legalclarity.org

Does make sense to me how it may of gone. IMO

 

[Megnut]

AJ:
"Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder, print that, print that". then it sounds like AJ did a little spit or two.

In legalese AJ is saying that NR is NGRI.

If we are to believe that he's no longer NR's attorney due to no fault of NR than it can only be the money isn't there to be paid.

I think AJ wants to say (but ethically cannot) that NR is NGRI and he's so insane that he's rejecting counsel on that point, and that's what's outside NR's control, as AJ sees it.

Hands tied.

JMO

 

[keek]

I think AJ wants to say (but ethically cannot) that NR is NGRI and he's so insane that he's rejecting counsel on that point, and that's what's outside NR's control, as AJ sees it.

Hands tied.

JMO

This is how I see it at this point, still. Just imagining is all I can do.

 

[MistyWaters]

I think AJ wants to say (but ethically cannot) that NR is NGRI and he's so insane that he's rejecting counsel on that point, and that's what's outside NR's control, as AJ sees it.

Hands tied.

JMO

Could be, NR is an uncooperative client risking AJ ethics requiring him to provide him with a competent defence. I just wonder if NR is insisting on pleading guilty regardless of (what’s now reported as) his “mental disability”.
JMO

Attorney for Rob Reiner’s son resigns but says his client is not guilty of murder under state law

The high-profile private attorney for Nick Reiner was granted a request to be removed from his case Wednesday, but later told reporters that according to California law his client is not guilty of murder in the killing of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.

www.ctvnews.ca

Jackson, a former LA County prosecutor, had given no indication of the plans for his defense.

He said that just hours after Nick Reiner’s arrest, he and his team got a call about representing him. He did not say who called him.

“We dropped everything,” Jackson said. “For the last three weeks, we have devoted literally every waking hour to protecting Nick and his interests. We’ve investigated this matter top to bottom, back to front.”

He said they remain “deeply, deeply committed” to him and said, “We’re not just convinced; we know that the legal process will reveal the true facts.”

 

[MistyWaters]

If NR is insistent on pleading guilty or even not guilty, while resisting an insanity plea, could dropping the financial support for a high profile defence team be the family’s way of saying “okay then, do it your way, we’re out!” while applying pressure for NR to heed AJ’s legal advice? I don’t know, purely my speculation but money talks.

Rob Reiner murder: Police say Nick Reiner taken off suicide watch, still dealing with “mental disability” | Watch News Videos Online

Watch Rob Reiner murder: Police say Nick Reiner taken off suicide watch, still dealing with “mental disability” Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca

globalnews.ca

According to medical authorities and mental health specialists, Nick has a “medical disability”.

 

[Cindizzi]

 

[BUF]

Jackson was asking for body attachments for subpoenas today in court (before he resigned as counsel). Who was not showing up for subpoenas (there were about 10)?

 

[lohrtabitha]

I'm waiting for Nick to demand trying his own case as his own attorney....

And if he did, it would show his mental illness even more. We have seen many mentally ill killers do so like Lori Vallow Daybell, Charles Manson, and Ted Bundy. However none of them were successful at putting themselves into a mental institution. They landed themselves in prison. I believe the Reiner family doesn't want to see Nick face the death penalty or spend life in prison. I think they would rather have him institutionalized for life where he is being treated for his mental illness . I dont think Nick wants this. He can have way more freedom in prison. No therapy, no one to make him take his medicine, and he can even score illegal drugs in prison. I am thinking that yes Nick could have very easily fired AJ. IMO.

 

[keek]

Jackson was asking for body attachments for subpoenas today in court (before he resigned as counsel). Who was not showing up for subpoenas (there were about 10)?

People are not cooperating with the defense it seems? Wow. So it seems that way, the way of let the legal system do it's thing per the family.. IMO

 

[Recidivist]

I think the Probate Court froze the assets and applied the slayer rule.

imo

 

[Lawnguylander1964]

I served on a jury recently for a double murder trial (as well as 13 other felony charges) and after the verdict, we spoke with prosecutors and we asked why it took so many years for this case to come to trial and they told us that every time the trial was set, the prosecution would offer a plea deal and the defendant would not take it because he only wanted to serve 5-7 years for everything, he thought that was fair. So he would not take the deal and his lawyers would try to convince him to take the deal, and would immediately turn around and fire his public defense team. This happened 5 times, 6 sets of public defense lawyers and 3 sets of prosecutors during the delay in trial. The 6th time, the prosecution did not offer a plea deal so the case would finally go to trial.

NR may not be making decisions in his own best interest and this alternate strategy is a way of delaying the case further, hoping maybe NR changes his mind or his medications help stabilize him enough to make better decisions for himself. IMO, there's definitely something big at play here.

 

[Luna20]

Jackson was asking for body attachments for subpoenas today in court (before he resigned as counsel). Who was not showing up for subpoenas (there were about 10)?

There were subpoenas for today?

 

[BUF]

There were subpoenas for today?

I don’t believe for today, but defense subpoenas. The list was sealed, but who are they for?

 

[cujenn81]

There’s a reason AJ prefaced his statement with “pursuant to the laws of this state”. I interpret that to mean… “regardless of the outcome of this case or how NR ultimately pleads, he’s not guilty because the law states XYZ.”

 

[Luna20]

“Before the hearing began, Nick Reiner spoke calmly with his team before they went into the judge’s private chambers for a roughly three-minute long secret meeting.

At one point Nick Reiner smirked before he began staring straight ahead while the defense team was out of the courtroom.

The hearing had initially been scheduled for Nick Reiner to enter a plea to two charges of first-degree murder. But that was postponed by Jackson quitting the case.

Afterwards, Jackson told a scrum of reporters, “Circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control, have dictated that sadly it’s made it impossible for us to continue our representation of Nick.”

Nick Reiner smirks in court as he’s dropped by high-powered lawyer Alan Jackson — who says he had ‘no choice’

Rob Reiner’s disturbed son Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he slaughtered his beloved movie director dad and his mom Michele.

nypost.com

 

[freudianslip]

Think about this….if things quickly changed this morning, then Jackson quickly told his buddy Harvey Levin at TMZ just before this arraignment was about to start…then Harvey did that Breaking Update video that quickly got taken down

Also, I'm quite sure I heard Harvey Levin - who broke the schizophrenia story - casually referring to a diagnosis of schizo-affective disorder instead. Surely, this change isn't just anecdotal and maybe it has something to do with the taking down of the video.

Diagnosing NR over the years has probably been difficult and "very complex". Perhaps multiple doctors had differing opinions. And NR has his own.

Speaking of which... How would a man last seen asking famous people what their name was and if they were famous react to a famous and "very high profile lawyer" dropping everything to defend him, the son of the very famous parents he's accused of stabbing to death, I wonder after reading about the smirking in the courtroom.

Sounds to me like AJ wanted to protect a client from complete self destruction, while the client wants to own/explain or totally deny what he did. JMHO.

 

[LinasK]

Murdering someone, even by slitting their throat, is not exactly a symptom of mental illness.

No, but it meets the requirement of a danger to others. Like my neighbor who threatened suicide with a gun.

 

[LinasK]

Just as a matter of interest, if a client had the means to pay for a private lawyer would they be entitled to a public defender?

No, if you have the means to have a private attorney, you generally aren't entitled to a public defender. That's my understanding.