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NEED TO KNOW
Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner's family issued a new statement stating "they have the utmost trust in the legal process" on Wednesday, Jan. 7
The couple's son Nick Reiner, 32, appeared in court in Los Angeles on Jan. 7, but his arraignment was postponed to Feb. 23 after defense attorney Alan Jackson withdrew from the case
Nick is facing two counts of first-degree murder in connection with his parents' deaths
Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner's family has issued a new statement regarding the latest criminal proceedings inNick Reiner's murder case.
After attorney Alan Jacksonwithdrew from representingNick, 32, just before he was set to be arraigned on murder charges on Wednesday, Jan. 7, in connection with the stabbing deaths of his parents Rob, 78, and Michele, 70, a spokesperson for the Reiner family issued a statement that reads, "They have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings."
Nick, whowas present in a Los Angeles courtroomon Jan. 7 when Jackson withdrew from the case, will now be represented by a public defender named Kimberly Greene. Jackson said in court that his legal team had "no choice" but to withdraw from the case after he spoke with the judge. Nick did not enter a plea during his court appearance; he waived his right to finish his arraignment on Jan. 7 and the court proceedings were rescheduled for Feb. 23.
Ricardo D. Garcia, the L.A. County Public Defender, said in a statement on Jan. 7 that his office "recognizes what an unimaginable tragedy this is for the Reiner family and the Los Angeles community."
"Our hearts go out to the Reiner family as they navigate this difficult time. We ask for your patience and compassion as the case moves through the legal process, as these matters are complicated and require careful consideration," the statement added.
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Rob and Michele were found dead in the family's home on the afternoon of Sunday, Dec. 14, while their son Nick was arrested roughly six hours later. (Rob and Michele alsoshareddaughterRomy, 28, and son Jake, 34, and Rob also shared daughter Tracey, 61, with his first wife, the late actressPenny Marshall.)
Nick faces two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his parents. The L.A. County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed to PEOPLE Dec. 17 that the couple died from "multiple sharp force injuries."Nathan J. Hochman, the L.A. County district attorney, is also pursuing a murder conviction with "special circumstances," a designation that could make Nick eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
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The couple's deaths happened just hours after Rob and his son Nick were said to have gotten into a heated argument at a Christmas party hosted by Conan O'Brien on Saturday night, according to a timeline laid out ina press statementby the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Romy and her older brother Jakepreviously said in a Dec. 17 joint statementthat "the horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience" and asked the public for both privacy and "for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity" amid the legal fallout surrounding their brother Nick's impending charges.
"Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day," Jake and Romy said at that time.
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