Jonathan Rinderknecht: Defense attorneys seek dismissal of charges in deadly Palisades Fire case

Jonathan Rinderknecht's lawyers want case dropped

Defense attorneys are calling for the case against 30-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is charged in connection with the deadly Palisades Fire, to be dismissed.

Defense attorneys of the man facing charges for the deadly Palisades Fire are calling for his case to be dismissed. They say new evidence shows this is not a case of Jonathan Rinderknecht allegedly starting a fire, but of government agencies not doing their jobs.

"There isn’t a shred of evidence that Jonathan started that fire," attorney Steven Haney said.

So says Jonathan Rinderknecht’s attorney.

The 30-year-old Rinderknecht has been in the Men’s Detention Center for 150 days. He was arrested last year for allegedly starting the Lachman Fire, which investigators say sparked the Palisades Fire.

Attorney Steven Haney stood in front of the federal court building, calling on the Department of Justice to drop the case. Haney is basing that demand in part on recently released video depositions in ongoing lawsuits.

Depositions also described conversations with state park staff, leaving LAFD under the idea they’d take over.

The 30-year-old Rinderknecht has been in the Men’s Detention Center for 150 days.

Haney says the DOJ’s criminal complaint blamed the fire on an incendiary device or fireworks, but the search warrants found nothing. What his client did do, Haney said, is report the fire.

"Had he not called 911 and reported the fire to the LAFD, his involvement wouldn’t have been known," Haney said.