Nick Reiner appears in court charged with murdering parents

Nick Reiner, the son of famous Hollywood director Rob Reiner, appeared in court for the first time on charges of murdering his parents.

The 32-year-old waived his right to enter a guilty plea to two first-degree murder charges at the hearing as all parties agreed to delay his arraignment until Jan. 7, when he will have the opportunity to enter a guilty plea again.

His lawyer Alan Jackson told reporters outside court that there were “complex and serious issues” in the case that needed to be worked out in the coming weeks.

Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Sunday. Nick Rayner was charged with murder Tuesday.

When Reiner appeared in court in downtown Los Angeles, he only answered “yes, your honor” when Judge Teresa McGonigle asked if he understood he was entitled to a speedy trial.

The judge earlier ordered the assembled media gathered outside the courthouse hours before the hearing not to film the defendant, who was wearing a suicide prevention vest.

Media in the courtroom were unable to see Mr. Reiner throughout the short hearing because he sat in a corner, out of sight.

He was originally scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, but he did not have medical clearance to do so, according to his lawyer and prosecutors.

“We ask that as you go through this process, you allow the system to move forward as it was designed,” Mr. Rayner's lawyer, Alan Jackson, told reporters.

“Not with hasty judgment, not with hasty conclusions, but with restraint and with dignity and with the respect that this system and this process deserves and that the family deserves,” he said.

The delay in Rayner's guilty plea may have been calculated to allow time for a psychiatric assessment, one criminal lawyer told the BBC after the hearing.

“A mental health evaluation is usually done before arraignment to determine whether he is even fit to stand trial,” Seth Zuckerman said.

Until his next hearing on January 7, Reiner will remain in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.

If he pleads not guilty, he could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors said no decision has been made on whether the death penalty will be pursued.

Rob Reiner has directed several iconic films in various genres, including Fever Spinal, Misery, and A Few Good Men.

Michelle Singer Reiner was an actress, photographer and producer, and the founder of the photography agency and production company Reiner Light.

“This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones, but for the entire city,” Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Tuesday.

With additional reporting from Sakshi Venkatraman.