A mistrial was declared Friday in the federal trial of a man accused of setting the wildfire that became the deadliest in Los Angeles history, a significant setback for federal prosecutors.
U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang declared the mistrial on the 13th day of the trial after jurors informed the court they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on any of the felony charges against 30-year-old former Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht. The jury's final deliberation vote was 10 to 2 for acquittal.
The prosecution had accused Rinderknecht of destruction of property by means of fire and arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, leading to the timber fire. Prosecutors alleged that the fire, initially known as the Lachman fire, smoldered underground for a week before erupting into the devastating Palisades fire. This subsequent blaze resulted in 12 fatalities, the destruction of approximately 6,500 structures in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, and billions of dollars in damages and insurance claims.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated that his office intends to retry the case. "The evidence is strong that Jonathan Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on January 1, 2025," Essayli tweeted, adding, "We fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts."
Conversely, defense attorney Steve Haney expressed that the jury was unconvinced, stating, "The jury was not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt… and it wasn’t even close. 10 to 2 is a pretty resounding indication of what the jury felt about this case." Haney had argued to the jury that the government lacked evidence proving Rinderknecht started the fire with a lighter, suggesting fireworks as a more likely cause, citing a defense expert and witness testimonies.
Jurors first indicated their impasse on Thursday afternoon after deliberating for over 13 hours. Following an initial indication of a unanimous verdict, a subsequent note revealed they were at a "standstill." Despite a request from Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Williams for an "Allen charge" to encourage further deliberation, Judge Hwang agreed with the defense's concerns about potential coercion and, after questioning the jurors, concluded that further deliberations would be unproductive, citing their "dead-set, unwavering and unwilling to change their opinion" stance.
