It’s been a week since the news broke that Nick Reiner allegedly murdered his parents, and now his legal fees are suddenly becoming a part of the conversation. Mostly because of the guy hired to defend him.
When he showed up in court last week with Alan Jackson by his side, let’s just say people noticed. Jackson is a high-profile, high-priced defense attorney. He’s well known for handling big and costly cases, and inquiring minds are asking: Who’s footing the bill? He’s not saying. That kind of silence does what silence usually does, it creates a vacuum that fills up fast with speculation and gossip.
As you might imagine, a case like this can drag out for a very long time. Hearings, motions, depositions, mental health evaluations, etc. Those add up to some serious billable hours, and that’s before you get anywhere near a trial date. Some outlets are reporting that a family friend claims the money is coming from Rob and Michele Reiner’s estate, and that it was the family who made the decision to hire Jackson. The source added that the siblings would rather see their brother in a mental health facility than serving a lifetime in prison. That’s not hard to imagine in a family with parents who supported humanitarian causes.
LA’s ABC7, meanwhile, raises a bit of a reality check. They quoted estate and trust attorney Sean Weissbart, who is not connected to the case, saying it’s “incredibly unlikely” the Reiners’ money would be paying for a high-powered defense in the simple way people might assume.
Entertainment Weekly’s reporting added another layer, the inheritance piece. Weissbart points to what’s commonly called a “slayer statute,” and “if you kill someone that you’re going to inherit from, you lose your inheritance.” He said that if convicted, Nick would likely be disqualified, and if the children were splitting the estate equally, “Nick would be disqualified, and everything would just go, probably, in three equal shares [instead].”
Weissbart also said the statute does not necessarily hinge on a criminal conviction. It’s civil, and he said it applies to someone who “feloniously and intentionally killed” the person who died. He noted one possible wrinkle: The statute requires intent, and “if someone was found not guilty by reason of insanity, the slayer statute might not apply.”
Even that doesn’t answer the money question. Inheritance is one thing. Paying for a defense right now is another. Trusts can be set up in ways the public never sees, and control can sit with trustees or family members, not the person who might inherit later.
For now, the facts are few. What we know is Nick Reiner has a private and very expensive lawyer. Who’s cutting the checks is anyone’s guess, and there’s the problem. Understandably, the family is requesting privacy. However, the question of who’s paying Nick’s legal fees is one the public will keep asking until there’s an answer.
Outside the courtroom, Jackson has said the case is “very complex and serious” and urged people not to “rush to judgment.” Reiner is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 7.
Wow! These lawyers have zero credibility.