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Rinderknecht Pleads Not Guilty in Revised Arson Case

8/20/2026

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Story summary
  • Jonathan Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty to two revised federal arson charges in a Los Angeles federal courtroom.
  • A superseding indictment dropped one count and redefined the remaining two to separate the Lachman Fire on Jan 1 2025 from the Palisades Fire on Jan 7 2025.
  • Judge Anne Hwang scheduled a retrial for Nov 2 2026, with prosecutors estimating a 5-to-8-day trial after a June 2026 hung jury (10-2 deadlock) led to a mistrial.