Nick Reiner, son of renowned director Rob Reiner, is seeking access to a trust fund established by his parents to help pay for his defense against murder charges. The 32-year-old Nick Reiner is accused of killing his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, in their Los Angeles home on December 14.

Background

Rob Reiner, a prolific director known for films like ‘This is Spinal Tap,’ ‘Stand By Me,’ and ‘When Harry Met Sally,’ and his wife Michele, a photographer and producer, were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home. Nick Reiner was arrested hours later and has since pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder.

Nick Reiner’s attorneys have filed a petition in a Los Angeles County court to access the trust fund, which was established in 1993. The trust has at least $1.5 million in assets, but the trustee, attorney Paul R. Kanin, has denied Reiner access to the funds, citing concerns about his competence.

Nick Reiner’s defense team argues that he is entitled to the funds, which are lawfully his own, to mount his defense. His high-profile lawyer, Alan Jackson, has expressed willingness to resume representation if the funds become available.

Proceedings

The murder case is moving slowly, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for September. Nick Reiner is eligible for the death penalty, but the District Attorney’s office has not yet decided whether to seek it.

Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.