A surprise deadlocked jury in the Palisades Fire trial leaves attorneys weighing next steps
Jurors said they were split after two days, and judges are weighing an Allen charge, more argument or a mistrial in the arson case.
- On Thursday, June 25, 2026, a federal jury reached a verdict in the trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of starting the 2025 Palisades Fire. The court will announce the decision shortly.
- Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht intentionally started the Lachman Fire on January 1, 2025, which smoldered underground before erupting into the Palisades Fire, killing 12 people and destroying over 5,400 homes.
- While prosecutors placed Rinderknecht 30 feet from the flames using cellphone data, defense attorney Steve Haney argued the government lacked physical evidence, noting his client called 911 multiple times to report the fire.
- If convicted on three federal charges including destruction of property by fire and arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, Rinderknecht faces a maximum of 45 years in federal prison.
- The 2025 disaster burned more than 23,000 acres of land across the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Santa Monica mountains, marking one of the third most destructive incidents in California history.
84 Articles
84 Articles
Jury Deadlocked in Palisades Fire Case
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, the AP reports. Jurors said Thursday they couldn't reach a consensus in the trial of 29-year-old...
Jury remains deadlocked in trial of Palisades Fire arson suspect Jonathan Rinderknecht
After announcing earlier on Thursday that they had reached a verdict, the jury sent a note to the judge saying they were deadlocked, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Jeff Nguyen and Mike Rogers report.
Bizarre jury twist in trial of accused Palisades firebug Jonathan Rinderknecht
A bizarre back and forth between jurors took place in the Palisades Fire trial Thursday as accused firebug Jonathan Rinderknecht awaited his fate. In a strange twist, the jury first told the court it had reached a unanimous decision just after 2 p.m., but then told the court they were at a standstill around 2:30...
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