Nick Reiner’s arraignment on murder charges connected to the deaths of his parents—filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner—was postponed Wednesday after his defense attorney Alan Jackson requested to withdraw from the case.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Theresa McGonigle approved Jackson’s request, assigned a public defender, and delayed the proceedings until Feb. 23. The hearing had been scheduled for Reiner to enter a plea more than three weeks after his arrest.

Reiner, 32, briefly appeared in court and agreed to the delay. He did not enter a plea.

He was represented for the remainder of the hearing by Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene, who formally took the case following Jackson’s withdrawal.

Jackson did not provide a reason for leaving the case during the hearing. Before the judge granted his request, Jackson informed the court that his defense team had active subpoenas related to its investigation. The judge agreed to seal that list of individuals and ruled that the information did not yet need to be shared with prosecutors.

Reiner appeared from a secured area of the courtroom, standing behind protective glass while wearing jail-issued clothing. The court approved the presence of cameras but barred images of the defendant.

Reiner has been held without bail since his arrest on Dec. 14. Prosecutors have charged him with two counts of first-degree murder in the death of his parents, Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70. The charges include special circumstances allegations involving multiple victims and the use of a knife, which could increase potential sentencing if he is convicted.

This is not the first delay in the case. In December, Reiner also did not enter a plea during an initial court appearance, when the arraignment was postponed to allow the defense time to review evidence. At that hearing, Reiner appeared in restraints and a suicide prevention smock. He was not wearing the smock during Wednesday’s proceedings.

After the hearing, Jackson described the case as a “devastating tragedy” and urged that the legal process move forward without haste or assumptions. Prosecutors have not publicly disclosed a motive, and authorities have released only limited information about the investigation.

Alan Jackson (R), attorney of Nick Reiner, appears in court to defend Reiner on murder charges in Los Angeles on Dec. 17, 2025. The judge requested that no photographs of Reiner be taken in court, and two people (left and center) were positioned to block Reiner, who was sitting behind them. (Jae C. Hong-Pool/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has said that Rob Reiner and his wife died from multiple sharp force injuries. Law enforcement officials have declined to provide further details.

Prosecutors have not yet announced whether they intend to seek the death penalty. The case is led by Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.