Nick Reiner Pleads Not Guilty To Murder Of Parents

LOS ANGELES, CA — Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty Monday to murder charges in connection to the stabbing deaths of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.

Nick Reiner’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene, entered the plea on his behalf as he stood behind glass in a custody area of a packed Los Angeles courtroom.

Reiner had his head shaved and was wearing brown jail clothes. He talked to his lawyer briefly before the judge began the short hearing. He spoke only to answer "yes" when the judge asked him if he waived his right to a speedy trial, the New York Times reported.

He was not wearing the suicide prevention smock he wore in his first court appearance in December.

Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian said his office is still awaiting a full autopsy report in the case, but all other evidence has been turned over to the defense.

Reiner, 32, remains jailed without bond on two counts of murder stemming from the stabbing deaths of his parents, who were found dead on Dec. 14 in their Brentwood home.

He's scheduled to return to court April 29, when a date will be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters outside the court house that his office will be "looking at all aggravating and mitigating circumstances" and that Reiner's attorney has been invited to present written and oral arguments before a decision is made on whether to seek the death penalty.

"It will be subject to not only a rigorous analysis, but many of the most experienced individuals in the DA's Office with death penalty experience will be helping me evaluate that information," Hochman said.

Of the court proceedings, he noted that the defense could likely request more time to prepare before a preliminary hearing date is set "because of the volume of discovery that will have to be gone through by defense counsel, by the fact that we're still waiting for the coroner's report and by the fact that if defense counsel wants to seek any additional expert testimony it will certainly take additional time."

Reiner's first scheduled arraignment, set for December, had been postponed at his attorney's request. At the time, he was represented by high-profile lawyer Alan Jackson, who told reporters at the time that there were some "very, very complex issues that are associated with the case."

He appeared again in court last month, when Jackson announced that he and his team "feel we have no choice" but to withdraw from the case.

Greene, his new public defender, that day asked for the arraignment to be delayed again. She said she had spoken with Reiner for about 30 seconds.

Jackson later told reporters he's "legally and ethically prohibited" from explaining why he stepped back from the case.

At the time, TMZ reported that Jackson's decision to step away from the case is connected to Reiner having been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and issues with his medication "that could lead to a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity."

• Read Patch's full coverage of the Reiner case

Material from the Associated Press and City News Service was used in this report.