Palisades Fire trial jury deadlocked, raising possibility of mistrial in LA

Jurors in the federal trial of a man accused of starting the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire in California told a judge Thursday that the panel was deadlocked, shortly after indicating they had previously reached a verdict.

The announcement came on the second day of deliberations in the case against 30-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, following a 10-day federal trial into the fire. The fire stands as the most devastating event in Los Angeles County history and claimed at least a dozen lives.

A note sent to the judge by the jury foreman initially stated that the panel had reached a verdict. However, the second note sent a few minutes later claimed the exact opposite.

“There are determined people on both sides. Without hesitation. We are at a standstill. Unsure of how to move forward,” the memo said. it said.

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In response, the judge asked the jury what the court could do to help them.

“For example, would an additional instruction or rereading of any testimony aid the jury’s deliberation?” the judge asked.

The jury responded, “There is nothing the court can do to assist the jury in its deliberations. Additional instructions or rereading the testimony would not assist deliberations. Unfortunately, we cannot reach a unanimous verdict.”

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Both the prosecution and defense agreed they needed more time to explore legal options following the jury’s latest update. The judge eventually instructed jurors to return at 9 a.m. Friday and continue deliberating.

Aerial view shows fire damage caused by the Palisades Fire on January 22, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

A deadlocked jury may ultimately result in the judge declaring a mistrial. Federal prosecutors will then have to decide whether to retry Rinderknecht, who is accused of destruction of property by fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and setting fire to timber. He pleaded not guilty.

Federal prosecutors argue that Rinderknecht, who allegedly started the Palisades Fire, was motivated by anger, loneliness and a desire for revenge against the wealthy.

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Fire personnel respond to destroyed homes while dropping water from a helicopter as the Palisades Fire grows on January 7, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California. (David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images)

The fire first started shortly after midnight on Jan. 1, 2025, in a remote, brush-heavy area in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. This first fire was called the Lachman Fire.

Firefighters responded to the scene on New Year’s Day and believed they had successfully extinguished the fire. However, investigators later determined that the fire was never completely extinguished and instead continued to burn underground.

On January 7, 2025, strong Santa Ana winds fanned underground embers and caused the fire to resurface above ground. The fire, caused by strong winds and severe drought, became the Palisades Fire, eventually burning more than 23,000 acres and destroying approximately 6,800 structures, mostly homes.

A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire that burned homes near the Pacific Coast Highway during a storm on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images)

Assistant U.S. Attorney Danbee Kim told jurors during closing arguments on Tuesday that the affluent Palisades area represented a nationwide wealth disparity to Rinderknecht, noting that the defendant “had a deeply ingrained belief that the wealthy were destroying the world.”

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Defense attorney Steven Haney argued that there was no physical evidence linking Rinderknecht to the destruction and argued that the Lachman and Palisades fires were entirely separate events and had nothing to do with his client. FOX Los Angeles reported.