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Nick Reiner Asks Court to Release $1.5M Trust to Fund Defense

He is asking a judge to order the trustee to release mandatory distributions now to pay private counsel while jailed.

Overview

  • A probate petition filed Monday seeks immediate distribution of at least half of a trust that Reiner says holds more than $1.5 million and was due to him at age 30.
  • The filing names trustee Paul R. Kanin and accuses him of withholding the payout through a “shifting series of excuses,” including concerns about Reiner’s competence that the petition says do not lawfully justify blocking a mandatory distribution.
  • Reiner’s lawyers say the funds are needed to rehire high‑profile attorney Alan Jackson and to place money in a commissary account for basic jail items; Jackson declared he would resume representation if the money is released.
  • Criminal proceedings continue separately: Reiner has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first‑degree murder, his preliminary hearing was continued to September, and prosecutors have not decided whether to seek the death penalty.
  • The trust is described in filings as irrevocable with clear terms to pay half at 30 and the remainder at 35, and a judge’s ruling on the petition could directly affect Reiner’s ability to hire private counsel and prepare his defense.