Legal Expert Reveals 'Fatal' Detail That Could Ruin Nick Reiner's Murder Defense At Trial

Nick Reiner will face a serious obstacle in presenting his case to a jury, according to a top legal expert.

The eldest son of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner recently entered a not guilty plea to allegations that he murdered his parents in cold blood last December. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 29 and will be a preliminary hearing where matters relevant to the case will be addressed.

Nick Reiner is currently represented by public defender Kimberly Greene, and recent reports indicate that his family has no intention of hiring a private attorney on his behalf.

Nick Reiner's trial moved one step closer following his official arraignment on February 23.

The 32-year-old pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder for the alleged killing of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner. The charges also include a special circumstances allegation.

With a preliminary hearing now scheduled for April 29, speculation has already begun over how Nick may approach his defense at trial.

However, whatever strategy he chooses could be complicated by the heated argument he had with his father just one day before the murders, according to Us Weekly.

"The fact that Nick got into an argument with the victims a day before the murders at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party is fatal to any real defense in the case," said legal expert Neama Rahmani, who once served as a federal prosecutor and is now president of Los Angeles-based West Coast Trial Lawyers.

According to earlier reports from TMZ, Nick and Rob had a "very loud argument" at a party held at O'Brien's home.

Even now, details of what the duo clashed about remain unknown, but sources who confirmed the dispute at the time told the outlet that it was loud enough for other attendees at the party to hear.

Those in attendance who witnessed the argument were reportedly prevented from calling authorities by O'Brien. He was said to have declared that he wanted no police at his house, despite the altercation being quite intense.

After the altercation, Rob left the party with Michele, while Nick's whereabouts following the fight still haven't been confirmed.

Rob and Michele were later found dead on the afternoon of Sunday, December 14, approximately 12 hours after the verbal altercation.

If Nick is ultimately found guilty of murdering his parents at trial, he could face the death penalty or life imprisonment, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who revealed this during a press conference on the murders last year.

He further confirmed this stance in a chat with the press after Nick's arraignment and cited that the case is currently going according to schedule.

"This case is a death penalty eligible case," Hochman said, per People Magazine. "Along those lines, we take the process in which we determine whether or not the death penalty should be sought extremely seriously, and it goes through a very rigorous process."

"We'll be looking at all aggravating and mitigating circumstances, and we have invited defense counsel to present to us, both in writing and orally in a meeting, any arguments that they would like to make in consideration for our going forward or not going forward with the death penalty," he added.

As proceedings continue, it is likely that Nick's public defender will remain his lawyer after she replaced Alan Jackson, the high-profile attorney who was initially hired for his defense.

The arrangement is believed to be in place because Nick's siblings, Romy and Jake, reportedly have no intention of hiring a private lawyer. They also do not plan to cover any legal bills that may arise during the course of his prosecution.

"Nick's defense is Nick's defense. They're not involved," a source told TMZ after the hearing.

Beyond declining to help Nick financially with his trial, his siblings, along with other family members, are reportedly keeping their distance from him.

No one has visited him since his incarceration at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, despite there being no restrictions on visitation for Nick.

This trend is expected by many to continue, as the family is reportedly still coming to terms with the allegations against the 32-year-old.