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 in the federal arson case tied to the Palisades Fire, after jurors said they could not reach a unanimous verdict.
U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang ended the trial after the panel reported it was split 10-2 in favor of acquittal, according to courtroom proceedings described in multiple reports. Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to three federal counts: destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and burning timber on public land.
Hwang set a tentative retrial date of Oct. 19 and ordered Rinderknecht held in custody until then, according to reports from the courtroom. Reuters and AP reported that a status conference was also set for mid-July.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said his office plans to retry the case. In a statement quoted by Reuters, he said the evidence is strong that Rinderknecht was responsible for igniting the fire on Jan. 1, 2025, which later became the Palisades Fire.
Defense attorney Steve Haney has said the jury split showed the government’s case was weak and that prosecutors did not have enough evidence to convict.
The Palisades Fire 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 reporting. The fire killed 12 people, according to the reports.
