The trial of Karen Read, the woman charged with backing over her Boston cop boyfriend in a drunken fit of rage, became a social media phenomenon, and now Nick Reiner, charged with slashing the throats of his famous parents, hired the same attorney.
Famed criminal defense attorney Alan Jackson will represent Nick Reiner following his arrest and charges of first-degree murder in the killings of his parents, director Rob Reiner and wife Michele.
Nick Reiner, 32, remained in jail Tuesday morning without bail ahead of an expected court appearance this week. His attorney has not said yet why he chose the case or whose funds are paying for his work, although Jackson has previously discussed his admiration for Rob Reiner's work.
“I’ve seen ('A Few Good Men') so many times and it gives me such a boost,” Jackson said in a Vanity Fair interview this summer after winning Read's case.
Jackson also represented actor Kevin Spacey in a 2019 groping case involving an 18-year-old bar busboy, a case that ended up being dismissed. He represented Harvey Weinstein, who was convicted of rape in the case that kicked off the nationwide Me Too movement.
And the Pepperdine University graduate has worked both sides of the legal system because Jackson was at one point a top prosecutor who secured a murder conviction for music icon Phil Spector.
His newest client, Nick Reiner, was arrested Monday on suspicion of murder in the killings of Rob, 78, and Michele Reiner, 68, whose bodies were found Sunday inside their home in Los Angeles' Brentwood community.
Details about a possible motive for the killings were not immediately available, although many media outlets have reported on Nick Reiner's tumultuous history of drug addiction and a loud fight he had with his father at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party before the killing.
The deaths of Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner stunned the Hollywood community, leading to an outpouring of tributes from entertainment industry colleagues, political figures, and more. Notably, the Reiners were set to have dinner with Michelle and Barack Obama the night their bodies were discovered.
Jamie Lee Curtis issued a statement on behalf of herself and her husband, Christopher Guest, who starred in Reiner's classic hit “Spinal Tap.”
“Christopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner,” Curtis said. “Our only focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them,” she added.
“There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage and their global care for a world in crisis,” her statement continued.
If he's convicted, Nick Reiner faces life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty, L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at a news conference on Tuesday.