A California court has blocked Nick Reiner from accessing a trust fund worth more than $1.5 million as he prepares his defense against murder charges in connection with his parents’ deaths. The fund’s trustee cited the state’s “slayer statute,” a legal provision that prevents individuals accused of intentionally killing someone from inheriting assets from that person. Reiner’s parents, director Rob Reiner and photographer-philanthropist Michele Reiner, established the trust for their son after his birth.
Reiner, currently represented by a public defender, filed a petition in June requesting permission to use portions of the trust to hire private legal counsel. The trustee’s attorney argued that California law contains no exception allowing funds to be used for criminal defense costs in such circumstances. If Reiner is ultimately convicted, the trustee indicated the remaining assets would pass to his siblings, Romy and Jake.
Reiner’s legal team has contested the trustee’s position, asserting that the slayer statute cannot apply to someone merely accused of a crime. His attorney emphasized that Reiner remains presumed innocent and has yet to be convicted of any charges. Reiner pleaded not guilty in February and again in August to two counts of murder, with additional allegations of lying in wait and weapon use. His next court hearing is scheduled for September 15.
Originally reported by Rollingstone →
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