The sudden exit of celebrity defense attorney Alan Jackson from Nick Reiner\u2019s murder case raised immediate questions inside a Los<\/b>
\nThe sudden exit of celebrity defense attorney Alan Jackson from Nick Reiner\u2019s murder case raised immediate questions inside a Los Angeles courtroom \u2014 and among legal experts watching closely from the sidelines.
Reiner, 32, the son of acclaimed filmmaker Rob Reiner, appeared in court Wednesday when Jackson announced he and his firm were withdrawing after only three weeks representing the accused double murder suspect, according to the New York Post.
Jackson, who recently secured an acquittal for Karen Read in the high-profile killing of her police officer boyfriend, declined to explain the decision. But veteran criminal defense attorneys and former prosecutors say the reason is likely straightforward: money.
\u201cIn the business, we say Mr. Green didn\u2019t show up,\u201d said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who has represented high-profile clients in civil litigation.
Rahmani described Jackson as one of the top defense lawyers in the country \u2014 and one whose services come at an extraordinary price.
\u201cFor a case like this, he\u2019s going to charge at least a seven-figure retainer,\u201d Rahmani said.
According to Rahmani, Reiner simply does not have the financial means to sustain that level of representation. He pointed to the fact that Reiner had been living in a guesthouse on his parents\u2019 Brentwood property and noted California\u2019s Slayer Statute.
\u201cYou kill your parents \u2014 you\u2019re disinherited,\u201d Rahmani said.
Defense attorney Seth Zuckerman, who has represented actors Jonathan Majors and Paul Haggis, agreed that finances likely drove the change, especially given how quickly a public defender was appointed.
\u201cIf they had the financial resources they would go hire another private attorney,\u201d Zuckerman said.
Criminal defense lawyer Mark Bederow echoed that assessment, saying Jackson almost certainly did not want to step aside.
\u201cIt\u2019s clear [Jackson] didn\u2019t want to,\u201d Bederow said. \u201cA representation like this could cost an extraordinary sum of money. Probably the money is not there.\u201d
Nick Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder in the alleged stabbing deaths of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, on Dec. 14. Prosecutors allege he fled the scene after the killings.
Earlier that night, Reiner reportedly argued with his parents at Conan O\u2019Brien\u2019s Christmas party, possibly over substance abuse issues and his refusal to return to rehab. He has reportedly completed 17 stints in treatment.
Because the case involves two victims, it is eligible for life in prison or the death penalty, though District Attorney Nathan Hochman has not said whether he will pursue capital punishment. Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s 2019 moratorium on executions remains in effect.
Legal experts widely agree the case is unlikely to become a death penalty prosecution.
\u201cThere is no way this is going to end up being a death penalty case,\u201d Bederow said.
Attention now appears to be shifting toward Reiner\u2019s mental health. He is being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility\u2019s mental health unit and was recently taken off suicide watch.
\u201cThe defense in this case is likely mental health,\u201d Zuckerman said.
After leaving the case, Jackson told reporters: \u201cNick Reiner is not guilty of murder.\u201d
Bederow noted the careful wording.
\u201cHe would not be literally innocent but he would be legally not guilty,\u201d he said.
Reiner\u2019s arraignment has been postponed until Feb. 23 following Jackson\u2019s withdrawal.
\tIJR, Contributor Writer<\/p>\n