Judge declares mistrial in case against Palisades Fire arson suspect, Justice Department says
Prosecutors say Alexandre Rinderknecht set the blaze that burned 23,448 acres and destroyed roughly 6,800 structures before the jury began deliberating.
- On Friday, U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang declared a mistrial in the federal arson case against Jonathan Rinderknecht after jurors deadlocked, unable to reach a unanimous verdict on three charges tied to the deadly Palisades Fire.
- Prosecutors alleged Rinderknecht ignited the Lachman Fire on January 1, 2025, using a grill lighter; the blaze allegedly smoldered underground before resurfacing as the destructive Palisades Fire that destroyed about 6,800 structures.
- Defense attorney Steven Haney challenged the circumstantial evidence, arguing errant fireworks likely caused the fire and stating, "Whatever evidence might've been there was buried, crushed... or floated away in water."
- Federal prosecutors vowed to retry the case, with First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stating the office intends to "obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts" before a new jury.
- The legal battle unfolds amid the 2025 disaster's toll: the fire burned 23,448 acres, destroyed about 6,800 structures, and killed 12 people, underscoring the stakes of complex fire dynamics analysis in this proceeding.
31 Articles
31 Articles
Mistrial declared in trial over deadly Palisades Fire
After two days of deliberations, a federal judge declared a mistrial in the case concerning the origin of the devastating January 2025 fires in Los Angeles. NBC News' Misty Marris explains how the judge reached the mistrial verdict.
Mistrial declared in Palisades Fire arson case; jury deadlocked on charges
A judge has declared a mistrial in the case against a man accused of deliberately sparking a wildfire that eventually became the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history. Jurors said they were deadlocked on all three felony counts, with a final vote of 10 to 2 for acquittal. Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber [...]
Daily Journal
Federal prosecutors say they'll retry man accused of starting 2025 Los Angeles wildfire after mistrial declared
Federal prosecutors say they'll retry man accused of starting 2025 Los Angeles wildfire after mistrial declared.
Arson case in Los Angeles' deadly Palisades fire ends in mistrial, local media says
A federal judge declared a mistrial on Friday in the arson case brought against a man accused of deliberately setting a blaze that grew into one of the deadliest, most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history, local news media reported.
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