LOS ANGELES — A federal judge declared a mistrial on Friday in the arson case against the man accused of igniting the fire that authorities say ultimately became the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire, after jurors reported they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict following more than two days of deliberations. Jonathan Rinderknecht, who has pleaded not guilty to three federal charges, will face a retrial after prosecutors said they intend to pursue the case again.
The case has drawn widespread attention because it centers on one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County history. Federal prosecutors allege that a fire they say Rinderknecht intentionally set on New Year's Day 2025 later reignited under powerful winds and grew into the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and caused extensive destruction. Defense lawyers have disputed both the prosecution's theory and the evidence linking their client to the blaze.
U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang declared the mistrial after jurors informed the court they remained at an impasse. "The court finds there is a manifest necessity to declare a mistrial because the jury is deadlocked," Hwang said from the bench, according to court proceedings. Jurors had previously advised the court that they were divided on all three counts and that additional deliberations were unlikely to change their positions.
According to the court, 10 jurors favored acquittal while two voted to convict. Earlier, prosecutors had asked the judge to direct the jury to continue deliberating, but Hwang declined, citing the risk that further instructions could become coercive given the jury's stated position. A note from jurors said, "We have people on both sides that are dead set, unwavering and unwilling to change their opinion."
Rinderknecht is charged with arson, malicious destruction by means of fire and timber set aflame. Prosecutors contend evidence including cellphone records and surveillance footage ties him to the initial fire, while the defense has argued the government's case is circumstantial and suggested that fireworks were a more likely cause of the blaze. Defense attorney Steve Haney has maintained that his client is innocent and has accused authorities of making him a scapegoat.
The Palisades Fire burned more than 23,000 acres after the initial blaze was believed to have been contained before later reigniting during strong winds, according to prosecutors. The wildfire destroyed thousands of structures and became one of the deadliest in Los Angeles County history.
Rinderknecht remains in federal custody. Prosecutors have said they will retry the case, with a status conference scheduled for July and a retrial tentatively set for Oct. 19, according to court proceedings.
