Palisades Fire Arson Trial Collapses in a Mistrial as Jurors Deadlock 10-2 to Acquit

A federal judge declared a mistrial in the arson case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, the 30-year-old man accused of igniting the Palisades Fire, after jurors reported they were hopelessly deadlocked and could not reach a verdict on any of the three charges he faced. The outcome is a stinging setback for prosecutors who had cast the case as an open-and-shut act of catastrophic arson.

The split was lopsided in the defendant's favor: 10 jurors were prepared to acquit, while just two held out to convict, according to accounts of the deliberations. Prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang to send the panel back for further deliberation, but she declined, citing a "risk of coercion" given how firmly the jurors had staked out their positions. Rinderknecht had been charged with arson, malicious destruction by means of fire, and setting timber aflame.

The government's theory was that Rinderknecht started a fire on Jan. 1, 2025, that smoldered undetected deep in root systems for days before flaring back to life on Jan. 7 and exploding into one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. The Palisades Fire ultimately killed 12 people and incinerated thousands of homes as it tore through hillside neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and swept into the city of Malibu, displacing tens of thousands of residents.

But the defense worked methodically to undercut the forensic and circumstantial case, and enough jurors were left unconvinced that the man in the dock was responsible for the initial ignition. The deadlock leaves the cause of the disaster formally unresolved in the eyes of the court, even as investigators maintain their conclusion that the fire was deliberately set.

Minutes after the mistrial was announced, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli signaled the fight is far from over. Prosecutors "fully intend to retry this case," he said, and a new jury trial has already been scheduled for Oct. 19, 2026. Rinderknecht, who has maintained his innocence, will remain in the legal crosshairs as the government prepares to present its evidence a second time.

For survivors and the families of the 12 people killed, the hung jury delivers no closure — only the prospect of reliving the trauma through another trial months from now. The case has become a flashpoint in Los Angeles, where residents rebuilding from the January 2025 firestorm have watched the courtroom drama closely, hoping for accountability that, for now, remains out of reach.