Defense attorney Alan Jackson speaks after withdrawing from Nick Reiner murder case
Defense attorney Alan Jackson speaks outside the courthouse after telling the judge he will no longer be representing Nick Reiner. Reiner is charged with the murder of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner.
High-profile defense attorney Alan Jackson is standing firm on his courthouse remarks declaring Nick Reiner "not guilty" — even after stepping away from the case.
After withdrawing Wednesday from representing the youngest son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, Jackson is doubling down on his statement.
"You gave an endorsement and resignation at the same time," Billy Bush said during an exchange with Jackson on his "Hot Mics" podcast.
Alan Jackson is standing by his remarks on Nick Reiner, saying that by law, he is "not guilty." (Laura Cavanaugh/FilmMagic; Caroline BREHMAN / AFP via Getty Images)
Jackson didn’t disagree or soften his stance.
"It was important for me to right some wrongs that had been printed — lots and lots of speculation, lots of people who want to believe certain things," he said. "So with that statement, that’s as far as I’m going to go. I believe in it. I believe exactly what I said. What I said is the truth. Under the laws of the state of California, he’s not guilty. And it was important for me to make sure that the public understood that as I had to step away."
Jackson formally withdrew from the case on Jan. 7. Reiner is now represented by a public defender and is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 23.
Bush continued to press Jackson on the case.
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Nick Reiner seen in courtroom sketch during his Jan. 7 appearance. (Mona Edwards)
"So, the big question everybody’s wanting to know the answer to is why did you step away?" Bush asked.
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Jackson remained tight-lipped about the specifics during the podcast.
"That’s a confidential communication between a lot of folks that I’m not willing to disclose," he said.
Nick Reiner, 32, was charged in December with two counts of first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of his parents, who were found dead inside their Brentwood home on Dec. 14. (Rommel Demano/Getty Images)
As the conversation continued, Bush suggested that Jackson appeared visibly conflicted at that moment during the interview. The host raised the possibility that something had gone wrong behind the scenes.
"Look, I know you well enough to know when you’re pissed off, and I’m looking at your body language there," Bush said. "You’re emphatic in your support of Nick and that he’s not guilty in this situation. But I also see that you’re not happy. So what … well, something happened with the retainer or something … Is it a money thing?"
Jackson immediately pushed back.
"I mean, you can’t say that. You can’t say that, Billy. You can’t say that something happened with the retainer because I’ve never said that," he responded.
Attorney Alan Jackson addresses the media outside of Superior Court in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
Jackson acknowledged only that circumstances changed — without elaboration.
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"So obviously something happened with my ability and my team’s ability to continue the representation, but I don’t want you, your audience, anybody else to start speculating as to what that might be. I have not said a word about it," he said.
When Bush told him that people are going to speculate regardless, Jackson remained adamant that the reason for his withdrawal is ultimately irrelevant to the legal point he wanted to make public.
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"I get it. But by the same token, I’m saying that it does not matter at this point. I said what I said at the press conference because it’s true. And I believe it in my heart, and I also said that my team and I remain and will remain completely committed to the best interests of Nick Reiner. And that’s also true, and that’s not going to change. But I’m not going to get into the specifics of why it was necessary for me to withdraw," Jackson said.
Nick Reiner remains in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility and faces a possible sentence of life in prison without parole or the death penalty. (Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Teen Vogue)
Last week, Jackson cited circumstances beyond his and Nick’s control as to why he decided to step down from the case.
"Circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control have dictated that," Jackson said during a press conference outside the courthouse. "Sadly, it’s made it impossible for us to continue our representation of Nick. I’m legally, and I’m ethically prohibited from explaining all the reasons why."
Jackson was adamant that Nick was "not guilty" of murdering his parents.
"We’ve investigated this matter top to bottom, back to front," Jackson said. "What we’ve learned — and you can take this to the bank — is that pursuant to the laws of this state, pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder."
Nick, 32, was charged in December with two counts of first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of his parents, who were found dead inside their Brentwood home on Dec. 14.
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Authorities said Reiner was arrested hours later near the University of Southern California. He remains in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility and faces a possible sentence of life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
A spokesperson for the Reiner family told Fox News Digital at the time that they have "the utmost trust in the legal process" and declined further comment.
Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright and Larry Fink contributed to this report.
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