The federal trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, the 30-year-old man accused of starting the devastating 2025 Palisades Fire, has ended in a mistrial. After two days of deliberations, jurors in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California failed to reach a unanimous verdict on charges of destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire.
Reports from the Los Angeles Times indicated that the jury was heavily deadlocked on all three counts, with 10 jurors voting to acquit Rinderknecht and two voting to convict. In a note reported by KABC, the jury stated, “We have people on both sides that are dead set, unwavering and unwilling to change their opinion.”
Following the ruling, defense attorney Steve Haney Sr. stated that the lopsided vote showed the government failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. “10 to 2 is a pretty resounding indication of what the jury felt about this case and we felt that way from the very beginning,” Haney said.
Despite the setback, federal prosecutors announced they will not drop the charges. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated on X that the government fully intends to present the case to a new panel. “The evidence is strong that Jonathan Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on January 1, 2025, which eventually became the Palisades Fire,” Essayli wrote. “We fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts.”
The trial centered on the catastrophic wildfire that tore through Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood, consuming over 20,000 acres, destroying billions of dollars in property, and claiming 12 lives.
The prosecution’s case painted Rinderknecht as a man seeking “revenge against society” who harbored a deep resentment toward the wealthy residents of the canyon. To build their case, prosecutors introduced his personal history, “angry” interactions with Uber passengers, and digital forensics showing ChatGPT queries regarding “burning forests.” The government argued that Rinderknecht set the initial “Lachman Fire” on January 1, 2025, and that the blaze “held over” underground for six days before erupting into an inferno on January 7.
However, the defense team introduced explosive counter-allegations, arguing that the 12 lives lost were the result of a multi-billion-dollar firefighting failure by the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and California State Parks, rather than an arsonist’s grudge.
In a statement to the Tampa Free Press in May, Haney argued that Rinderknecht was actually a Good Samaritan and whistleblower who was turned into a “scapegoat” to shield public agencies from liability.
According to defense evidence, Rinderknecht was on the hills watching New Year’s Eve fireworks when he witnessed a fire spark from a mortar blast. “When my client was on the hill that night watching the fireworks, he saw the fire start and called 911 within 30 seconds of it being detected by a nearby trail camera,” Haney stated.
The defense noted that multiple witnesses, including a fire captain, also reported hearing a mortar blast right before the flames appeared. Furthermore, records show Rinderknecht tried repeatedly to contact emergency services. “Because the hill was known for bad reception, he raced down it and called 911 thirteen times to report the fire they claim he set,” Haney said, arguing that the government possesses no physical evidence linking his client to the ignition.
A central pillar of the defense was the six-day gap between the initial fire and the deadly outbreak. The January 1 Lachman Fire was a small, isolated 8-acre brush fire that burned protected vegetation on state park land. “The crazy thing is that the Lachman Fire, which my client adamantly denies setting, was only an 8-acre brush fire,” Haney noted.
Court filings from the defense detailed allegations of “incredible negligence” by LAFD and State Parks crews, who were reportedly ordered to pull their hoses and abandon the Lachman burn scar on January 2 while it was still actively smoking. In depositions, firefighter Scott Pike testified that the ground remained so hot he could not place a gloved hand on it, but his warnings were ignored.
The situation turned critical on January 6 when the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag warning for hurricane-force winds. “The day before the January 7th Palisades Fire… nobody thought to monitor the burn scar where they knew hot spots remained,” Haney said. “Less than 24 hours later, the Lachman Fire rekindled, becoming one of the worst fires in US history.”
The defense argued that the prosecution’s “holdover” theory was a fictional narrative designed to protect the LAFD from massive financial and legal liability. Haney maintained that the government’s focus on Rinderknecht’s personality traits was merely a distraction from the state’s failure to monitor a known fire hazard during an extreme weather event.
With the mistrial declared, the legal battle moves toward a second trial. Rinderknecht maintains his innocence, with his counsel stating, “We look forward to clearing his name at trial.”
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