Nick Reiner's Big Loss: Powerhouse Defense Attorney Alan Jackson Withdraws From Representing Rob and Michele's Son in Murder Trial

Nick Reiner's powerhouse defense attorney is reportedly taking himself off the case.

Insiders close to the Reiner family told an outlet that Alan Jackson is expected to inform the judge that he won't be representing Nick, 32, at the accused double murderer's arraignment on Wednesday, January 7.

It's unclear why Alan is removing himself, but the outlet reported the family will be releasing a statement shortly. The troubled addict son accused of murdering his parents, Hollywood director Rob and wife Michele, will instead be represented by a public defender.

Alan was announced as Nick's lawyer shortly following his arrest, just hours after his parents' bodies were found at the family's Brentwood, Calif., home on December 14, 2025.

The renowned defense attorney — who famously represented Karen Read, Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein — was spotted visiting the Reiners' lavish Los Angeles mansion in the days following their slayings.

Alan told reporters the public should not "rush to judgment," citing the case's "complex and serious issues," despite calling Rob and Michele's deaths a "devastating tragedy."

The same outlet claimed sources say the troubled drug addict son of the beloved filmmaker will not enter a plea at the arraignment.

However, it's been widely rumored that he will inevitably plead not guilty by reason of insanity, as he was reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia and new medication was supposedly making him act "erratic" before he allegedly fatally stabbed his mom and dad.

Though legal experts are saying it will be hard to prove that Nick, a former screenwriter, was out of his mind when he took his parents' lives.

According to legal expert Josh Ritter, who appeared on Fox News ahead of Nick's arraignment on Wednesday, the When Harry Met Sally director's son's defense team is "going to have their hands full" with an insanity plea.

"I don't think it's going to be as easy a path as they might imagine," he told Fox and Friends First's Todd Piro.

"For the purposes of the law, and what is considered insane criminally, you have to prove that someone what not just suffering from some sort of mental illness or defect," Josh explained. "But that caused them to not be able to appreciate the consequences of their actions."

Josh went on to note that Nick's defense will have to prove the drug addict was "literally so untethered to reality" that he wasn't aware of what he was doing and didn't understand the "ramifications."

The Fox News contributor then pointed out that despite Nick's mental health diagnoses, he "fled the scene" — which suggests he had the presence of mind to know what he did was wrong.

"He also went to a second location and it looks like he washed up," he added. "The attempting to try to evade capture...All of those are signs of a person who appreciates the consequences of their actions."

Nick was arrested approximately five hours after his parents were found deceased. He was detained near the University of Southern California campus in South Los Angeles after allegedly leaving a Santa Monica hotel room covered in blood.

The nepo baby was also caught on CCTV footage calmly walking near his parents' home within hours of the murderers.

Rob and Michele were reportedly discovered with their throats slit. The late couple's official cause of death was listed as "multiple sharp force injuries," according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.