Nick Reiner’s first appearance in a courtroom on Wednesday to answer charges that he had killed his parents lasted mere minutes.
Mr. Reiner, who appeared to be wearing jeans and a vest, was seated behind a wall of plexiglass just to the left of the judge, and Mr. Reiner’s lawyer, Alan Jackson, was standing in front of him, as if shielding his client from the media.
Before Judge Theresa McGonigle of Los Angeles Superior Court addressed Mr. Reiner’s case, she took up a request from the media to film the proceedings. Mr. Jackson said he did not mind the proceedings being filmed, but he asked that Mr. Reiner himself not be shown, to which the judge agreed.
Judge McGonigle asked Mr. Jackson whether Mr. Reiner was prepared to enter a plea, and Mr. Jackson said that he was seeking to finish the rest of the arraignment on Jan. 7, a date he had agreed on with prosecutors. He said he needed time to see all the evidence. In complicated cases, it is not uncommon for arraignments to be delayed.
Judge McGonigle asked Mr. Reiner if he agreed to waive his right to a speedy arraignment and continue the proceeding in January. “Yes, your honor,” he said, before being led out of the room through a side door by security officers.
After the hearing, which lasted roughly five minutes, Mr. Jackson faced a bank of television cameras outside the courthouse and explained the rescheduling, saying there were “very complex and serious issues associated with this case” that needed time to be examined. He asked the media and public not to “rush to judgment,” and then he left without taking any questions.
Tim Arango is a correspondent covering national news. He is based in Los Angeles.
The post Reiner’s Son Appears, Briefly, Before a Judge appeared first on New York Times.
