Overview
- A federal status hearing on July 16 followed a missed appearance by Jonathan Rinderknecht that the defense says was caused by a U.S. Marshals miscommunication and resulted in him appearing in custody the next day.
- Prosecutors told the court they expect to begin a retrial on Oct. 19 and to largely re-present the case they offered at the first trial with some adjustments to evidence and strategy.
- The first federal trial ended in a mistrial on June 26 when jurors reported they were deadlocked and the foreperson said the panel was split roughly 10 to 2 in favor of acquittal.
- The government’s theory centers on forensic and technical proof, including ATF testimony that hidden smoldering embers from the Jan. 1 Lachman Fire helped start the larger Jan. 7 Palisades Fire and digital records tying Rinderknecht to the scene.
- The defense plans to file evidentiary motions seeking to exclude some text messages and other materials admitted at the first trial while both sides prepare for contested expert testimony and juror selection.