Palisades Fire suspect misses court again; judge demands Friday appearance
Palisades Fire suspect no-shows court date
Jonathan Rinderknecht is set to be retried in October 2026 after his first federal arson case ended in a mistrial.
LOS ANGELES - Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of sparking the historic Palisades Fire, is expected to return to court Friday morning after failing to appear for his scheduled status conferences two days in a row.
A federal judge has ordered that Rinderknecht must be present for the next hearing, which is set to determine the next steps before his retrial in October.
What we know:
Rinderknecht, 30, was scheduled for a federal court status conference on Wednesday morning, which was first delayed to Thursday and has now been pushed to Friday at 11:15 a.m. because he did not appear.
Federal prosecutors accuse Rinderknecht of intentionally starting the Lachman Fire on January 1, 2025. Investigators allege this blaze later re-ignited into the Palisades Fire, which went on to become the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history.
Rinderknecht's first federal arson trial ended in a mistrial last month when the jury was unable to reach a unanimous agreement on any of the charges.
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Following the mistrial, federal prosecutors immediately announced their intention to retry the case, which is currently scheduled for October.
What we don't know:
The exact reason for Rinderknecht's consecutive absences remains unclear.
While his defense attorney suggested on Wednesday that morning transfer logistics from jail frequently encounter delays, the specific cause of Thursday's second missed appearance has not been detailed.
It is also unknown if these delays will impact the scheduled start of his retrial in October.
What they're saying:
Following the first missed appearance on Wednesday, defense attorney Steve Haney sought to downplay concerns regarding his client's absence.
"It's happened before. These early morning court appearances, even if it's at 11 o'clock, they have to get them up at 3 or 4 in the morning, and logistically a lot of things can go wrong. So it is what it is, and we'll be back tomorrow morning."
Haney added that Rinderknecht is in a good frame of mind ahead of the October trial.
"He's been great. You know, I just saw him a couple of days ago, so I don't think there's anything by way of frustration or anything unusual going on with him emotionally. He seems to be in a great place right now, very encouraged by the last trial, the outcome, as am I, and we're looking forward to the next trial in October, so I don't think it's anything. I wouldn't read too much into it."
The defense maintains that the Lachman and Palisades fires were completely separate events and that Rinderknecht had no involvement in either.
The other side:
Federal prosecutors remain firm in their pursuit of a conviction. Following the mistrial, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli posted on X, "The evidence is strong that Jonathan Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on Jan. 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."
What's next:
The federal judge has ordered Rinderknecht to be present in court on Friday at 11:15 a.m. This status conference will address the logistics and timeline leading up to the scheduled October retrial.
The Source: This report is based on federal court proceedings, official statements from defense attorney Steve Haney, and public statements issued by U.S. Attorney BIll Essayli. Information regarding Rinderknecht's consecutive absences and the judge's direct mandate for Friday's hearing was obtained through direct coverage of the unfolding court scheduling updates.