Los Angeles Judge to Decide Nick Reiner Trust Fund Access for Defense
A Los Angeles probate judge has scheduled an October hearing to decide whether Nick Reiner can access a trust fund created for him by his parents, director Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Reiner. The decision could affect his ability to pay for legal representation in the criminal case involving their deaths. Nick Reiner, 32, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges. A judge entered the plea on his behalf during an appearance in downtown Los Angeles. He remains jailed without bail. He was arrested on Dec. 15 after Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Reiner, 68, were found dead at their Brentwood home. The medical examiner said they died from multiple sharp-force injuries. Reiner argues that he was entitled to the trust fund’s first payment when he turned 30, before the alleged killings. The attorneys administering the trust are opposing the payment under California’s Slayer Statute, which bars someone from receiving trust assets if they killed the person who established the trust. His former defense attorney said he hopes the matter can be resolved quickly in Reiner’s favor. The indictment includes two first-degree murder counts, special-circumstances allegations of multiple murders and lying in wait, and an allegation that Reiner personally used a deadly weapon. The allegations could increase potential penalties, including life without parole or, if prosecutors seek it, a death sentence. A criminal pretrial hearing is also expected in the fall. The case is significant for Los Angeles because it combines a high-profile Brentwood homicide investigation with an important probate-law question: whether a criminal defendant can use disputed family trust assets to fund a defense before the murder charges are resolved.
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