A superseding indictment was filed against Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is accused of starting the 2025 Palisades Fire. This time, he faces two counts instead of three. It came after his first trial ended in a mistrial.
Rinderknecht denies intentionally starting the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 buildings.
Jurors Could Not Agree In The First Trial
The new, scaled-back indictment follows a 10-2 jury split in favour of acquittal.
With the first trial ending in a mistrial, it is not clear how prosecutors intend to prove their case this time around.
Fewer Charges
According to the Associated Press, “All three charges in the first trial blamed Rinderknecht for setting both the Jan. 1 fire and the Palisades Fire.”
The article also noted, “In the new indictment, only one charge references both fires. The other only focuses on the destruction caused by the first fire.”
Prosecution Evidence
NBCLA reported on YouTube that it is not clear how the prosecution might approach the new trial with regard to the existing evidence…