The son of filmmaker Rob Reiner is asking a California court to force the release of money from a trust established by his parents, arguing the funds are being illegally withheld as he fights charges for their murders.
Civil attorneys representing 32-year-old Nick Reiner filed a petition in Los Angeles County court against trustee Paul R. Kanin. The filing states that the money is urgently needed to fund a proper legal defense and cover basic necessities while in custody.
Nick Reiner was arrested last December following the stabbing deaths of his father, Hollywood director Rob Reiner, and his mother, Michele Singer Reiner, in their Brentwood home. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder.
“Nick loved his parents, and he is devastated by their deaths. But the facts about what did and did not happen to them are not at issue in this Trust litigation,” the petition states. “Like anyone accused of a crime, Nick is presumed innocent, and he is entitled to mount his defense with the resources that are lawfully his own.”
According to court documents, Rob and Michele Reiner created a trust for Nick in 1993 with explicit instructions that he receive half the assets at age 30 and the remainder at 35. The petition claims Nick never received his age-30 payout, and alleges Kanin has used “a shifting series of excuses” regarding Nick’s competence to deny the mandatory funds.
The petition estimates the trust holds at least $1.5 million, but notes Kanin has refused to provide an exact valuation. Kanin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The financial standoff has disrupted Nick’s defense. High-profile attorney Alan Jackson initially took the case but stepped down after Nick’s siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner, reversed an initial agreement to pay the legal fees. In a declaration attached to the new petition, Jackson stated his firm “stands ready, willing, and able to resume representation” if the trust funds are released.
Criminal proceedings are moving slowly, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for September. While the charges make Reiner eligible for the death penalty, District Attorney Nathan Hochman has not yet announced whether his office will pursue it. Most details regarding the killings, including potential motives and autopsy results, remain sealed under court order.
READ: Army Recruiter In New Jersey Stole Recruits’ Identities In $266K Bank Fraud Scheme, Feds Say
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
