UPDATE
Jun 26, 2026 12:45 PM CDT
A federal judge declared a mistrial Friday in the arson case against the man accused of sparking the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles after the jury said it could not agree on a verdict. Prosecutors said they will try again, the AP reports. Jurors said a day prior that they had come to a standstill in deliberations in the trial of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht on three federal charges: arson, malicious destruction by means of a fire, and timber set aflame. "The court finds there is a manifest necessity to declare a mistrial because the jury is deadlocked," Judge Anne Hwang said, with 10 jurors set on a not-guilty verdict and two others determined to convict.
- Defense attorney Steve Haney said the vote count was a "pretty resounding indication" that his client is innocent. But US Attorney Bill Essayli said they "fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts."
Jun 26, 2026 12:00 AM CDT
Attorneys are weighing their options after a jury said it could not decide whether to convict the man accused of sparking the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles after two days of deliberation, the AP reports. Jurors said Thursday they couldn't reach a consensus in the trial of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht on three federal charges, a surprise development after less than 30 minutes earlier they said they had come to a unanimous verdict. They were asked to return to court Friday morning. Judges often do not declare mistrials until multiple steps have been taken to ensure a jury is truly deadlocked.
"We have people on both sides that are dead set, unwavering, and unwilling to change their opinion," a note from the jury read by Judge Anne Hwang said. "We are at a standstill. We are unsure how to proceed." Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty to starting what became one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. He was charged with arson, malicious destruction by means of a fire, and timber set aflame. Prosecutors say Rinderknecht started a fire on Jan. 1, 2025, that burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up a week later. The Palisades Fire began Jan. 7 and burned through the hillside neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Malibu, killing 12 people.
Hwang sent a note asking if there was anything the court could do to help with deliberations, such as additional instructions or re-reading of testimony. The jury said no. She then asked if the jury was split on all three of Rinderknecht's charges, and the jury confirmed it was. Prosecutors suggested that the judge offer additional argument to help the jurors continue to deliberate, but Rinderknecht's attorneys opposed. They also suggested an Allen charge, which is essentially a more strongly worded jury instruction that urges a hung jury to continue trying to come to an agreement. Both sides asked for the jury to return Friday so they had more time to plan their options.
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