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Nick Reiner, who has been charged with the murder of his parents Rob and Michele Reiner, has filed a plea of not guilty. Reiner made his plea during an appearance in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, February 23.
Facing two counts of murder with an enhancement — that could carry the death penalty or life without parole if he is convicted — for his alleged role in the stabbing death of Rob and Michele Reiner, who were found dead in their Brentwood home on December 14 — 32-year-old Nick Reiner has plead not guilty. The trio were in attendance at Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party just hours prior, with Nick’s presence and behavior reportedly making guests feel uncomfortable.
Reiner was joined in court by his attorney Kimberly Greene, a deputy public defender who took over the case after his first lawyer, Alan Jackson, withdrew from representing him.
Nick Reiner has plead not guilty in response to the charges he’s facing for the alleged murder of his parents Rob and Michele Reiner
“District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office is still in the process of deciding whether to seek the death penalty. Hochman, who reversed his predecessor’s moratorium on seeking execution, said that veteran prosecutors with death penalty experience would be involved in the decision. Hochman said he expected that a preliminary hearing in the case will likely be delayed due to the volume of evidence in the case.” [via Variety]
While pleading not guilty at this stage is relatively routine for major criminal cases and no mention of Reiner’s mental state being made during his latest hearing, there is still the potential that Reiners defense team could be angling for an insanity plea given his history of mental health struggles and substance abuse, with Jackson even suggesting as much prior to stepping down.
“This is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family. We all recognize that,” Jackson said in a statement on December 27.
“There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case. Those need to be thoroughly, but very carefully dealt with and examined and looked at and analyzed. We ask that during this process you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed to move forward — not with a rush to judgment, not with jumping to conclusions.”
Reiner, who is currently being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, is scheduled to return to court on April 29, with Judge Sam Ohta presiding over the case.
Rob Reiner, 78 years old, spent decades in Hollywood as a prominent actor, writer, producer, and filmmaker, having directed beloved modern classics such as This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, Misery, A Few Good Men, and When Harry Met Sally.