Nick Reiner, son of Rob and Michele, seeks access to trust fund as murder case ramps up
Legendary film director Rob Reiner's son, Nick, who is accused of killing Rob and his mother Michele, last December, is attempting to obtain at least part of his $1.5 million trust fund as he defends himself in ongoing legal proceedings.
Nick, 32, appeared in a hearing in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, where a judge didn't outright exclude him from the fund, prompting further discussion and litigation. His civil attorneys filed a petition in June claiming that the trustees overseeing the fund are illegally excluding him from it.
The petition claims the fund is worth as much as $1.5 million.
"The main thing to take away from today's hearing and going forward is Nick Reiner is very much entitled to his own money, his own funds," his former criminal defense attorney Alan Jackson said. "He has made a determination that he wants to be able to use his funds that are in his trust account to decide on his criminal counsel."
Reiner pleaded not guilty last week to two counts of murder with the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder by means of lying in wait, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. An additional special allegation accuses him of using a knife in the slayings.
Last week's unsealed indictment allows prosecutors to skip California's preliminary hearing process, where evidence is publicly aired, turning the case over to federal jurisdiction. The grand jury had been meeting in secret and returned the indictment on July 20.
Jackson initially represented Reiner when it was a Los Angeles County case, but withdrew in January, before an arraignment was held. Reiner is currently being represented by a public defender in his criminal case. CBS LA reached out to his legal team for a comment but is yet to hear back.
When asked by CBS LA if Jackson would again represent Reiner if he were given access to the fund, he said that's "up to Nick." Shortly after withdrawing from the case, Jackson claimed Reiner was not guilty.
"Take this to the bank," Jackson said in January. "Pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that! Print that!"
When speaking to reporters after the hearing, Jackson said he hopes to work toward the parties settling out of court.
An obstacle for Reiner in the proceedings could be the "Slayer Statute," a California law invoked by the trustee in court. The law prevents perpetrators from benefiting from a trust or inheritance of someone they killed.
However, Reiner's attorneys argued in court that, since he's yet to be convicted of any murder, the statute doesn't apply.
On Monday, his legal team said Reiner needs the money to pay for commissary items in jail and for legal fees. The next hearing in the trust case is scheduled for October. He is scheduled to return to criminal court for a pretrial hearing in September.