LOS ANGELES, June 27 (Our Los Angeles) — A federal judge in Los Angeles declared a mistrial Friday in the case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is charged with starting the fire that became the deadly Palisades Fire, after jurors said they could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Judge Anne Hwang made the ruling in U.S. District Court after the jury reported it was split 10-2 in favor of acquittal, according to notes read in court. Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to federal charges including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and burning timber on public land.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California said it plans to try the case again. Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement that prosecutors believe the evidence shows Rinderknecht was responsible for the fire’s start on Jan. 1, 2025, and that the office intends to seek guilty verdicts on all counts.
Defense attorney Steve Haney said the split showed the government did not prove its case. He said jurors had found the evidence insufficient to convict.
Prosecutors allege Rinderknecht used a barbecue lighter to spark a fire that later reignited and spread into the Palisades Fire. The defense has argued that investigators found no accelerants or incendiary devices linked to Rinderknecht.
The wildfire erupted on Jan. 7, 2025, burned more than 23,000 acres over more than three weeks and destroyed roughly 6,500 to nearly 7,000 structures, according to California fire officials cited in the coverage. The fire killed 12 people, according to the reports.
AP and Reuters reported that Hwang set a retrial date for Oct. 19 and ordered Rinderknecht held until then, while Reuters also said the date was tentatively set and that a status conference was expected in mid-July.
