LOS ANGELES — After two days of deliberations, a jury remains deadlocked in the trial of the man accused of igniting the catastrophic 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, leaving attorneys to consider their next moves.
On Thursday, jurors in the case of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht were unable to reach a unanimous decision on three federal charges against him. This announcement came shortly after they initially reported reaching a consensus. The jury has been instructed to reconvene Friday morning.
Typically, judges refrain from declaring a mistrial until exploring every possibility to confirm that the jury is indeed at an impasse.
“We have people on both sides that are dead set, unwavering and unwilling to change their opinion,” a message from the jury, read by Judge Anne Hwang, revealed. “We are at a standstill. We are unsure how to proceed.”
Rinderknecht, who has pleaded not guilty, is accused of starting the blaze that ranks among California’s most devastating wildfires. He faces charges of arson, malicious destruction by means of fire, and setting timber on fire.
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.
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.”
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