Mistrial declared in federal arson case related to California wildfires
Key takeaways
- New trial set to take place in October after jury fails to reach decision in closely-watched case on Palisades Fire.
- Judge Anne Hwang declared a mistrial on Friday morning, one day after local media reported that the jury in the case had informed her that they were not able to reach a unanimous decision.
- Out of 12 jurors, 10 believed that the suspect, Jonathan Rinderknecht, was innocent.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
New trial set to take place in October after jury fails to reach decision in closely-watched case on Palisades Fire.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo. An aerial view of construction workers rebuilding houses which were destroyed in the Palisades Fire on June 25, 2026 in Pacific Palisades, California [Mario Tama/Getty Images via AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff, Reuters and The Associated Press Published On 26 Jun 202626 Jun 2026A United States federal judge has declared a mistrial in an arson case brought against a man suspected of sparking the flames that would later grow into one of the deadliest wildfires in California history.
Judge Anne Hwang declared a mistrial on Friday morning, one day after local media reported that the jury in the case had informed her that they were not able to reach a unanimous decision.