A federal judge dismissed the panel against former Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht.
Jurors deadlocked heavily in favor of acquittal, forcing a federal judge to declare a mistrial Friday in the case against a former Uber driver accused of setting the Lachman Fire, which is believed to be the precursor to the destructive 2025 Palisades Fire.
U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang dismissed the panel after they confirmed that further deliberations would not break an impasse on any of the three federal charges against Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30. The jury revealed it was split 10-2 in favor of a not-guilty verdict, prompting the judge to reject the prosecution’s request to order continued deliberations due to a “risk of coercion.”
Rinderknecht, who pleaded not guilty in October, remains in federal custody facing up to 45 years in prison. Hwang denied a defense motion for release, stating no combination of conditions could guarantee his future court appearances. A status conference has been scheduled for July 15, with a tentative retrial date set for Oct. 19.
The absolute standstill followed a dramatic sequence of legal maneuvers. On Thursday, jurors sent a note indicating they were at a complete standstill, prompting defense attorney Steve Haney to request an Allen charge to force a consensus. By Friday, Haney shifted strategy and moved for a mistrial. Federal prosecutor Mark Williams initially resisted the motion but conceded after Hwang individually polled the jurors, and each affirmed that a unanimous decision was impossible.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli posted a statement about the mistrial on social media, which said, “The evidence is strong that Jonathan Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on January 1, 2025, which eventually became the Palisades fire. We fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts.”
The government’s case hinges on the theory that Rinderknecht intentionally ignited a small blaze on Jan. 1 near the Skull Rock hiking trail, dubbed the Lachman Fire, which smoldered for nearly a week before exploding into the massive Palisades Fire on Jan. 7.
Records showed Rinderknecht had been driving for Uber in the area on the night of the initial fire and remained in the neighborhood after his final drop-off. Data from his cellphone, security camera video, and internet usage also placed him near the scene.
Haney argued for a dismissal on Monday, pointing to testimony from multiple witnesses who stated that the Lachman and Palisades blazes were entirely separate incidents rather than a single continuous fire.
