Jonathan Rinderknecht's federal case over the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire is scheduled to return to a Los Angeles court Monday, after his first trial ended in a June deadlock.
The first trial ended in a mistrial on June 26, 2026, when jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. CBS Los Angeles and The Associated Press reported that 10 jurors favored acquittal and two favored conviction.
A copy of the first superseding indictment, filed Aug. 13, 2026, lists two counts. One alleges that Rinderknecht damaged property by fire in connection with the Jan. 1, 2025, Lachman Fire. The other alleges arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, tied to both the Lachman and Palisades fires.
That two-count list differs from the original three-count description still shown on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) case page and an Oct. 29 court calendar. Those listings include a timber-set-afire charge. The original indictment, filed Oct. 15, 2025, contained three counts.
The DOJ's indictment announcement says prosecutors allege the Lachman Fire continued burning underground after it was suppressed, then resurfaced amid high winds on Jan. 7 as the Palisades Fire. Reuters reported that Rinderknecht's defense challenged prosecutors' account and offered fireworks as another possible explanation for the Jan. 1 ignition.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) incident page lists 23,448 acres burned, 6,845 structures destroyed, 975 damaged and 12 confirmed civilian deaths. The page identifies the Los Angeles City Fire Department as the agency with jurisdiction over the incident.
The DOJ case page lists jury selection for 11:45 a.m. ET (8:45 a.m. PST) Monday, Nov. 2, before U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang. The Oct. 29 court calendar estimates the trial will last 14 days; the scheduled date does not confirm that jury selection proceeded.
