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Nick Reiner denied $1.6 million trust to fund defense in parents' murder trial
🇪🇸 Spain /Crime & Justice

Nick Reiner denied $1.6 million trust to fund defense in parents' murder trial

From El País · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Nick Reiner, son of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, has been denied access to a $1.6 million trust fund to cover his legal defense.
  • A California court invoked the "slayer statute," preventing individuals from inheriting from victims they have "unlawfully and intentionally" killed.
  • Reiner's defense argues the statute requires a conviction, not just an accusation, and maintains his innocence.

Nick Reiner, the younger son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, has been formally charged with the murder of his parents and is now barred from accessing a $1.6 million trust fund established by them. The denial comes as Reiner remains in custody in Los Angeles, where he has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

California has not enacted any exception that would allow a murderer's inheritance to be used to cover the costs of criminal defense.

— Lauriann WrightTrust expert Lauriann Wright explains the implications of the slayer statute regarding Nick Reiner's access to his inheritance.

In June, Reiner's legal team requested access to the family trust to cover his legal expenses and costs associated with his detention. However, a financial administrator for the trust cited California's "slayer statute" in a court filing, arguing that the law prohibits individuals from benefiting from a crime. This statute prevents anyone from inheriting from someone they have "unlawfully and intentionally" killed, effectively blocking Reiner's access to the substantial inheritance intended for him since infancy.

According to The New York Times, which obtained the court documents, the administrator's argument, supported by trust expert Lauriann Wright, is that California law has no exceptions allowing a "murderer's inheritance" to fund a criminal defense. If Reiner were found guilty, the funds would instead be transferred to his siblings, Romy and Jake. Wright noted that allowing access now would be irreversible if he is convicted.

The homicide law requires a determination, not a mere accusation.

— Anita P. WuNick Reiner's attorney, Anita P. Wu, argues against the application of the slayer statute before a conviction.

Reiner's defense attorney, Anita P. Wu, has contested this interpretation. She stated that the slayer statute requires a "determination, not a mere accusation" and emphasized that Nick Reiner is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The defense had previously faced scrutiny in June when they sought access to the trust for basic necessities like food and hygiene products in the jail commissary, in addition to legal fees.

Nick is innocent until proven otherwise and has not been convicted of anything.

— Anita P. WuNick Reiner's attorney, Anita P. Wu, asserts his innocence in a statement.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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