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.
Jurors said Thursday they couldn’t reach a unanimous decision 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.
“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.
His trial began June 8 and has featured lengthy testimony from investigators, experts and witnesses from surrounding areas. While the government lacked direct evidence that Rinderknecht sparked the first fire, they placed him in the area and showed he was angry and erratic on the night of the blaze. A potential motive, they said, was his frustration at the rich and powerful. His defense argued the blaze’s cause was more likely to be fireworks.
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. Judges often do not declare mistrials until multiple steps have been taken to ensure a jury is truly deadlocked.
Both sides asked for the jury to return Friday so they had more time to plan their options.
Rinderknecht’s father, who has been in court for the duration of the trial, put his head in his hands when the jury said it was at a standstill. His brother and sister were in court as well.
Rinderknecht was feeling “a lot of anxiety” as he listened to proceedings in court, his attorney Steve Haney said.
“You can imagine his life’s on the line. … It’s been a long run for him,” Haney said. “He’s been locked up for 10 months.”
