The high-profile criminal defense lawyer representing Nick Reiner removed himself from the case on Wednesday, a few weeks after prosecutors accused Mr. Reiner of killing his parents, the Hollywood director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
The significant departure was announced during a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court, where Mr. Reiner, wearing a brown jumpsuit, was set to be arraigned on two counts of first-degree murder. It may suggest that the Reiner family — Nick has two siblings — has distanced itself from Mr. Reiner and his legal case, at least financially.
Mr. Reiner, 32, did not enter a plea on Wednesday but spoke once in court, saying he agreed to delay his arraignment.
He had been represented by Alan Jackson, a well-known lawyer whose clients have included Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey. Judge Theresa McGonigle assigned Mr. Reiner’s case to Kimberly Greene, a lawyer in the Los Angeles County public defender’s office, and rescheduled his arraignment for Feb. 23.
After conferring with the judge in her chambers, Mr. Jackson said in the courtroom that “we feel we have no choice” but to withdraw from the case. In a news conference after the hearing, Mr. Jackson said he had been forced to do so because of circumstances beyond his control.
“Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder,” he said. “Print that.”
Nathan J. Hochman, the Los Angeles County district attorney, said in a brief news conference that he was confident a jury would ultimately convict Mr. Reiner for the “brutal murder of his parents.”
Last month, immediately after Mr. Reiner was arrested, lawyers for the Reiner family arranged for Mr. Jackson to take his case, said a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The New York Times on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information. The person emphasized that the change in Mr. Reiner’s representation had nothing to do with Mr. Jackson’s performance and said that he had been a professional throughout the process.
In a statement to The Times, a spokesman for the Reiner family said, “They have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings.”
The public defender’s office found out on Tuesday that it would be taking over Mr. Reiner’s case. Ms. Greene told reporters on Wednesday that she had spoken briefly with Mr. Reiner.
He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder on Dec. 16 after his parents were found stabbed to death inside their home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The state charges included the aggravating factor of multiple murders, meaning that if Mr. Reiner is convicted he will face the possibility of life in prison without a chance at parole or the death penalty. Prosecutors have not said whether they would seek capital punishment; Gov. Gavin Newsom put a moratorium on executions in California in 2019.
Mr. Reiner worked with his father, the director of “This Is Spinal Tap,” “The Princess Bride” and “When Harry Met Sally …,” on a 2016 movie loosely based on their sometimes strained relationship. Over the years, Mr. Reiner has spoken openly about his struggles with drug abuse and bouts of homelessness.
When Mr. Reiner made a brief court appearance on Dec. 17, Mr. Jackson agreed to postpone the arraignment so he could review more of the evidence. At the time, Mr. Jackson told reporters that there were “very complex and serious issues associated with this case” that needed time to be examined.
When Mr. Hochman, the district attorney, announced the charges last month, he said the case would be particularly difficult to prosecute because of the intimacy between the victims and the accused.
“These cases, involving family members, are some of the most challenging and most heart-wrenching cases that our office faces,” he said.
Matt Stevens is a Times reporter who writes about arts and culture from Los Angeles.
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