Rob Reiner's son Nick fights for $1.5M trust fund access to bankroll high-powered murder trial defense
Rob Reiner's son demanded access to his trust fund after he was allegedly blocked from a massive payout that would have funded his decision to hire top-notch celebrity attorney Alan Jackson.
Months after Nick Reiner was put behind bars in connection to the murder of his parents, he filed a petition arguing that the person appointed to oversee his $1.5 million trust has unlawfully withheld funds that are already legally his. Nick insisted he needed the trust money to pay for criminal defense counsel and basic necessities while incarcerated.
According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, the trustee's alleged refusal to release money forced Nick into using a court-appointed public defender despite Jackson's firm already devoting substantial resources to his defense. Nick is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty after being charged with two counts of first-degree murder. His charges also include "special circumstances" multiple murders with the use of a deadly weapon.
Jackson, who previously represented Karen Read, began working on the case immediately after Nick's arrest, but the representation collapsed when anticipated family funding failed to materialize. In a declaration, Jackson said his firm remained willing to return if funding became available, including through alternative fee arrangements.
NICK REINER LOSING POWERHOUSE DEFENSE ATTORNEY MAY COME DOWN TO MONEY, EXPERTS SAY
According to Nick's petition, the trust established by Reiner and his wife required the trustee to distribute half of the assets to him when he turned 30 back in September 2023. However, the funds never materialized. The trustee allegedly continued to improperly withhold funds that had already vested in Nick by citing concerns about his competence and intended use of the money.
Nick's funding dispute centers specifically on trustee Paul Kanin, who had raised concerns about whether the 32-year-old is capable of making sound financial decisions. According to the court filing, Kanin wants to further evaluate Nick's ability to exercise "consistently good judgment" before releasing trust assets.
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Nick's attorneys pushed back on Kanin's concerns, arguing they lacked legal support. They noted that no court declared Nick incompetent, no doctors made the findings required under the trust and California law presumed adults competent unless proven otherwise.
"None of the sophisticated and experienced attorneys who have met with and represented Nick in recent months has raised any issue with Nick’s ability to understand the nature and consequences of the criminal proceedings, or to make informed decisions regarding his defense and retention of counsel," his lawyers added.
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Los Angeles Fire Department officials responded to a Brentwood-area home at around 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, where two bodies were discovered. Officials later confirmed the bodies to be of Rob and his wife, Michele.
"Both victims were found in the master bedroom of the area of the home," LAPD Assistant Police Chief Dominic Choi later confirmed during a LAPD Board of Police Commissioners meeting. Officers then conducted a "thorough search" of the residence and found no additional victims or suspects.
Rob and Michele's son Nick quickly became a person of interest and was taken into custody the night of Dec. 14. He was formally charged in the double homicide of his parents on Dec. 16.
Nick pleaded not guilty during his Feb. 23 arraignment. A spokesperson for the Reiner family told Fox News Digital, "They have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings."