The television crews started gathering outside the courthouse not long after sunrise—cameramen in cargo shorts and primped anchors drawn by the gravitational pull of tragedy. The air carried the weight of anticipation: when will Nick Reiner stand trial for the murder of his parents? Will he enter an insanity plea? Will his family members show up?
It has been decades since this city has watched a courtroom with such fixation—since a white Bronco and a freeway chase turned legal proceedings into a televised ritual during the O.J. Simpson trial. Now, with the case of Reiner, the machinery hums again. Reiner appeared in court for a hearing on the 9th floor of Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown LA—a couple dozen feet from the courtroom where Simpson stood trial in 1995.
Reiner, 32, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the deaths of his parents Rob and Michelle Reiner.
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Reiner, 32, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the deaths of his parents Rob and Michelle Reiner, who were found with fatal stab wounds in their Brentwood, California, home on December 14, 2025. Reiner, who struggled with drug addiction and mental illness for most of his life, has pleaded not guilty. Today was the first time Reiner appeared in court since he entered his not-guilty plea on February 23.
But, today was not a day for verdicts or vindication. Judge Sam Ohta set a preliminary hearing date for September 15. Reiner’s public defender Kimberly Greene, said they’re still waiting to receive nearly two terabytes of evidence from the prosecutors, including reports detailing the autopsies of Rob and Michelle Reiner. Greene’s comments implied a bit of tension between the prosecutors and the defense. Reiner’s original defense team, led by defense attorney Alan Jackson, left the case in January following speculation that the defendant’s family cut off their financial support. Roughly a week after signing onto the case, Jackson told the judge that he had “no choice but to withdraw and ask to be relieved.”
Reiner appeared wearing a yellow prison jumpsuit top and blue pants. He only spoke one word— “yes”— when the judge asked him if he understood what was happening. The entire hearing lasted about five minutes. None of his immediate family was in the courtroom on Tuesday. His brother Jake wrote a Substack essay last week where he discussed how his life has been turned upside down by the alleged murders. “Sure, any loss of a parent is devastating, but nothing compares to losing both of them at the same time and, on top of that, having your brother be at the center of it. It’s almost too impossible to process,” Jake wrote.
The Reiners were deeply influential in the film industry and their community in Los Angeles.
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The Reiners were deeply influential in the film industry and their community in Los Angeles. Rob Reiner rose to fame playing Michael “Meathead” Stivic on All in the Family. His career then moved seamlessly from comedy to drama, directing films like When Harry Met Sally, This Is Spinal Tap, and Misery, while later appearing on screen in projects including The Wolf of Wall Street. Beyond Hollywood, he became an outspoken political figure in California, backing liberal causes, ballot initiatives, and Democratic candidates. His wife, Michelle Reiner, was also engaged in philanthropy. The couple had a long list of friends in Los Angeles, including Billy Crystal and Larry David, who were both reportedly seen at the Reiner’s Brentwood home after the news of their deaths had broken.
