India, Jan. 8 -- High-profile defense attorney Alan Jackson's sudden withdrawal from Nick Reiner's murder case has sparked speculation about why one of California's most sought-after criminal lawyers stepped away just weeks after taking on the matter.

Jackson announced in a Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday, per local time, that he and his firm would no longer represent Reiner, the 32-year-old son of filmmaker Rob Reiner.

He did not explain the move, saying only that the defense team had "no choice" but to withdraw.

Public defenders were immediately appointed, and the arraignment was postponed until February 23, according to Reuters.

The unexpected shift comes as Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his par...