At the hearing in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, prosecutors and Mr Reiner’s defence team agreed to delay his arraignment until 7 January, when he will once again have the opportunity to enter a plea.
As he appeared in court, Mr Reiner said only “yes, your honour” when asked by Judge Theresa McGonigle if he understood that he has the right to a speedy trial.
The judge earlier ordered the assembled media – who gathered outside the courthouse hours prior to the hearing – not to film the defendant, who was wearing a jail suicide-prevention smock.
Media inside the courtroom could not see Mr Reiner during the brief hearing because he was sitting in a corner out of sight, but glimpses afterward revealed his face was blank, and his arms bare and shackled.
He was initially slated to make a court appearance on Tuesday but had not been medically cleared to do so, his lawyer and prosecutors said.
His lawyer, Alan Jackson, told reporters outside court that there were “complex and serious issues” in the case that needed to be worked through in the coming weeks.
“We ask that during this process, you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed to move forward,” Mr Jackson told reporters.
“Not with a rush to judgement, not with jumping to 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 Mr Reiner entering a plea could be designed to allow time for a psychiatric evaluation, one criminal defence lawyer told the BBC after the hearing.
“The psychiatric evaluation is generally done before arraignment to see if he is even fit to stand trial,” Seth Zuckerman said.
