LOS ANGELES — Famed defense attorney Alan Jackson stepped down Wednesday as counsel for Nick Reiner, who faces two counts of murder in the brutal December stabbings of his parents, Hollywood couple Rob and Michele Reiner.

“Circumstances beyond my control, but more importantly circumstances beyond Nick’s control, have made it impossible for us to continue our representation,” Jackson said to a throng of reporters outside a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday morning. “I’m legally and ethically prohibited from explaining the reasons why.”

The Los Angeles County public defender’s office stepped in to represent Reiner, who has yet to enter a plea in response to the murder charges. Public Defender Ricardo Garcia said he became aware his office would be taking over the case on Tuesday.

Reiner’s arraignment was postponed until Feb. 23 based on the change of counsel. His new attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene, said she had spoken to her client for the first time briefly in court Wednesday and could not comment on the future of the case.

“The Public Defender’s 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,” Garcia said in a statement Wednesday. “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 hearing played out before a packed courtroom filled by media and members of the public who came to observe Reiner’s second court appearance. Rumors that Jackson was dropping out of the case were whispered in the courthouse early Wednesday morning, as high-ranking members of the public defender’s office could be seen outside the courtroom.

Jackson and his team disappeared into McGonigle’s chambers around 9:15 a.m. When he came out, several public defender’s office officials could be seen sitting in the front row of the courtroom, and Jackson walked Greene over to speak with Reiner.

Authorities allege Reiner fatally stabbed his 78-year-old father and 70-year-old mother sometime in the early morning hours at their Brentwood home on Dec. 14. Their bodies were discovered in the master bedroom by their daughter roughly 12 hours later, and Nick Reiner was arrested that night in South L.A. by Los Angeles police. Jackson said he was in New York when he received a call about the case the next day and “dropped everything” to represent Nick Reiner.

A celebrated director and comedic actor, Rob Reiner was known for his work on iconic films, including “When Harry Met Sally ... ,” “Stand By Me” and “This Is Spinal Tap.” Rob and Michele met on the set of “When Harry Met Sally...," and Rob later said he changed the ending to have the central couple stay together after he fell in love with Michele during filming. The couple had three children together and Rob also has a daughter from a previous marriage.

Nick Reiner’s struggles with mental health and addiction issues are long documented. He had spoken publicly about getting sober by 2015, when he worked with his father on “Being Charlie,” a semi-autobiographical film about addiction and recovery that father and son co-wrote. Nick has also spoken on podcasts about hard drug use and destroying his parents’ guest house while “totally spun out on uppers.” He was living in the guest house at the time of the slayings.

Neither Jackson nor the public defender’s office has commented on Reiner’s mental health or if they might pursue an insanity defense. It is unclear how prominent of a role Reiner’s struggles will play in any criminal proceedings.

During his initial court appearance, Nick Reiner appeared to be wearing a suicide prevention vest given to L.A. County inmates who are at risk of self-harm. Los Angeles police twice visited the Reiners’ home in 2019 to perform a welfare check and respond to a mental-health related call for service, according to records obtained by The Times.

Despite stepping away from the case, Jackson said he remained “deeply committed” to Nick Reiner and believed he would be acquitted at trial.

“Pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that,” Jackson said.

A spokesperson for the Reiner family said they “have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings.”

Veteran trial attorneys said Wednesday that Jackson’s departure and the quick appointment of a public defender suggested Reiner was struggling to pay a high-powered attorney who has represented Harvey Weinstein and Karen Read, among other clients.

Jackson has not responded to questions about who was covering his retainer.

“For someone to even qualify for the public defender’s office they have to be indigent. So they have to provide some proof that they don’t have the means to hire someone else,” said Joshua Ritter, a former L.A. County prosecutor who also previously worked as a defense attorney at Jackson’s firm. “You can say this is about money, but it’s not like he’s looking for a less cost-prohibitive alternative. It sounds like what he’s left with is only the public defender’s office.”

Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who is not involved in the Reiner case, said following the change of counsel from Jackson on Wednesday: “Either Nick can’t pay him or they disagreed on strategy.”

Police have not disclosed a motive in the killings, though family friends told The Times that Rob and Nick Reiner got into an argument at a holiday party at the home of talk show host Conan O’Brien hours before the attack.

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