Nick Reiner Gets Limited Trust Funds for Jail Purchases

WHO:

Newser - Nick Reiner is the son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.

Yahoo - The trust’s successor trustee is Jodi Pais Montgomery; her lawyer supported the limited commissary allowance.

Yahoo - Nick Reiner is represented by public defender Kimberly Greene. His former private defense lawyer, Alan Jackson, withdrew from the case.

Yahoo - Nick’s civil and probate attorney, Anita Wu, argued that he is owed at least $558,000 under the trust.

Yahoo - Paul Kanin, Nick’s former trustee, said he authorized $349,000 from the trust for Nick’s defense.

Yahoo - Retired Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff will oversee mediation; Judge Ruben Garcia must formally approve any settlement.

Yahoo - Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said prosecutors will not seek the death penalty.

WHAT:

Newser - A Los Angeles judge authorized transfers of up to $300 at a time from Nick’s trust for basic jail-commissary purchases.

Yahoo - The order allows Montgomery to replenish the commissary allowance as Nick spends it; it does not resolve his broader access to the trust.

Newser - Nick is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and has pleaded not guilty.

Yahoo - Nick is charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances. If convicted, he faces life in prison without parole.

Yahoo - Prosecutors will not seek capital punishment after consulting Nick’s siblings, Jake and Romy, who did not want it pursued.

WHERE:

Newser - The ruling was made by a Los Angeles judge.

Yahoo - The allowance is for Nick’s jail commissary account; the hearing was in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

WHEN:

Yahoo - The trust was established in 1993 as an irrevocable trust; its terms provide for half the amount to become payable to Nick at age 30. The article says he turned 33 in September.

Yahoo - Mediation is scheduled for December 16.

Yahoo - Nick was arrested in December 2025; Jackson withdrew in January 2026.

WHY:

Newser - Nick’s lawyers said he needs funds for necessities and private counsel and argued some trust money was due to him before his parents’ deaths.

Yahoo - His attorneys said he had received “even $5” from the trust for commissary necessities. Montgomery’s lawyer described the allowance as “so de minimis” but important to Nick’s quality of life during incarceration.

Yahoo - The trust dispute includes whether California’s Slayer Statute bars Nick from inheriting or profiting from his parents’ estate.

HOW:

Newser - The trust is valued at $1.5 million, and the court permitted “nominal” transfers of up to $300 at a time.

Yahoo - The trust is valued at $1.5 million to $1.7 million; Nick’s lawyers say at least $558,000 was already due to him under its terms.

Yahoo - The parties plan a “global mediation” with a private mediator; any resulting settlement requires Judge Garcia’s formal approval.

Newser - Alan Jackson previously represented Nick but left when payment was not forthcoming; access to larger trust sums could enable Nick to rehire him.

(UPDATED October 25, 2026 04:02 UTC)

A Los Angeles judge has allowed Nick Reiner’s trust to provide up to $300 at a time for basic purchases from his jail commissary. The allowance can be replenished as he spends it, but does not settle his broader claim to the money. Reiner, the son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances and has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty, after consulting Reiner’s siblings, Jake and Romy; a conviction could mean life in prison without parole. His lawyers argue that at least $558,000 from the trust is already owed to him, while a former trustee says $349,000 was authorized for his defense. The trust, valued at up to $1.7 million, was established in 1993. A global mediation is scheduled for December 16, and any settlement requires a judge’s approval.