Legal Shift in Reiner Murder Case: New Attorney Addresses Representation

Kimberly Greene, the attorney now representing Nick Reiner, has addressed the shift in his legal representation.

“I had a brief conversation with Mr. Reiner earlier today,” Greene, accompanied by Los Angeles County public defender Ricardo Garcia outside of Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, January 7, stated while responding to questions after Alan Jackson resigned from the murder case.

“He seemed to understand that there would be a change in his legal team,” Greene continued.“We haven’t had any detailed discussions.”

Greene later clarified that her interaction with Reiner, 32, lasted approximately 30 seconds.

Nick Reiner’s Former Lawyer Alan Jackson Speaks Out After Withdrawing

Nick has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder following the deaths of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, who were discovered with apparent stab wounds in their Brentwood, California, home last month. (Rob and Michele, aged 78 and 70, respectively, also had children Jake, 34, and Romy. Rob also adopted an older daughter, Tracy, 61, during his marriage to his late former wife Penny Marshall.)

The arraignment was scheduled to occur on Wednesday morning, with Nick expected to enter a plea. Due to the sudden change in legal counsel, the arraignment has been postponed until February 23.

When questioned about whether she had contacted the Reiner family, Greene replied, “I have not.” A similar inquiry was directed towards the Reiner family, to which she repeated, “We’ve had no contact with the family. I don’t believe they were aware of this development.”

The public defender addressed the media shortly after Jackson confirmed his withdrawal from the case. Nick faces a potential sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if convicted.

“I am legally and ethically restricted from explaining all the reasons for my departure, which I know is a question on everyone’s mind,” Jackson said regarding his decision to leave the case. “We anticipate the public defender’s office will step in, they have already been appointed and will diligently protect Nick Reiner’s interests as he progresses through the legal system.”

L.A. DA Is ‘Fully Confident’ a Jury Will Convict Nick Reiner of Murder

Jackson continued, “In fact, we are not just convinced, we know that the legal process will reveal the complete truth about the circumstances surrounding Nick’s case. “What we’ve discovered, and you can rely on this, is that, according to California law, Nick Reiner is innocent of murder.”

A reporter asked Greene for her thoughts on Jackson’s assertion that Nick is innocent, to which she responded, “We will discuss that with Mr. Reiner and determine the best course of action.” She also explained that “it’s not unusual for private attorneys to hand over cases” to public defenders.

When asked when the public defender’s office learned they would be taking over for Jackson, Garcia revealed, “We were informed, I believe, last night or the night before that we would be substituting in.”

Additionally, during the press conference, Garcia stated, “I want to express that on behalf of the entire public defender’s office, we deeply regret and understand the grief and anguish that the Reiner family is experiencing at this time, as well as the entire Los Angeles community. The public defender’s office and all of our staff, our hearts go out to the entire family. We hope that the community will also understand that this is a challenging time for the entire legal process. We ask for your patience, your understanding as we navigate this process through the legal system and that we will be available to address your questions when appropriate. Thank you.”

In a separate statement to Us Weekly, Garcia reiterated, “The Public Defender’s Office acknowledges what an unimaginable tragedy this is for the Reiner family and the Los Angeles community. Our hearts go out to the Reiner family as they navigate this difficult time. We ask for your patience and compassion as the case moves through the legal process, as these matters are complex and require careful consideration.”