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DA Won’t Seek Death Penalty for Nick Reiner

By Drooid · Sep 15, 2026, 6:04 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Hochman Declines Death Penalty

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced prosecutors will not seek the death penalty for Nick Reiner.
Reiner, 33, faces two first-degree murder counts with a lying-in-wait special circumstance.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
He remains held without bail after his Dec. 14 2025 arrest.
The DA cited victims Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner’s anti-death-penalty stance and siblings’ wishes.

Summary

Reiner Files Petition

Nick Reiner filed a petition to access $1.5 million from his parents’ 1993 trust fund.
He argues the first half should have been paid when he turned 30 in 2023.
A hearing set for October may affect his ability to retain attorney Alan Jackson.
His lawyers say the trust money could fund a high-profile defense after his original counsel withdrew.
Prosecutors said the family asked that grand-jury transcripts remain sealed.

History

Historical Context

In 1972 the U.S. Supreme Court’s per curiam decision in Furman v. Georgia declared the arbitrary use of the death penalty unconstitutional, voiding nearly 700 death sentences and imposing a nationwide moratorium. The ruling spurred 35 states to rewrite statutes, and the 1976 Gregg v. Georgia decision reinstated capital punishment under guided sentencing, shaping today’s prosecutorial discretion.

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Hochman Declines Death Penalty

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced prosecutors will not seek the death penalty for Nick Reiner.
Reiner, 33, faces two first-degree murder counts with a lying-in-wait special circumstance.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
He remains held without bail after his Dec. 14 2025 arrest.
The DA cited victims Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner’s anti-death-penalty stance and siblings’ wishes.

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