Rinderknecht’s attorney Steve Haney told the Post exclusively there were a lot of people he wanted to call including Bass but his hands were cuffed.
Karen Bass will escape being asked under oath about her actions leading up to The Palisades Fire at the trial of the man accused of starting the blaze which destroyed the beachfront enclave and killed 12.started Monday with jury deliberations, where Judge Anne Hwang read out the witness list including dozens of names.
But the embattled Los Angeles mayor, who it currently in a tight reelection fight, was not mentioned. Prosecutors claim Rinderknecht ignited the most expensive wildfire in US history, killing 12 people, torching thousands of homes and causing $150 billion in damages in January 2025. The Florida native, 30, who lived in the area, allegedly ignited the flames near a hiking trail in the hillside at 12:12 a.m. on New Year’s Day – moments after dropping off his Uber passengers.
Rinderknecht’s attorney Steve Haney exclusively told the California Post on Monday there were a lot of people he wanted to call to the witness stand but his hands were cuffed. He said: “The judge has put some restrictions on us with respect to arguing the negligence of the fire department.
“That would lead into Karen Bass having some kind of role here in terms of testimony. So our focus will be a little narrower, on the fact that didn’t start the fire on January 1. ” According to court documents, law enforcement determined that the Palisades Fire was a “holdover” fire from the Lachman blaze which had continued to smolder and burn underground. Steve Haney makes his way into a Los Angeles Federal Courthouse Monday morning with an associate.
Rinderknecht was indicted last year on three federal arson charges for allegedly sparking the smaller Lachman Fire in the Palisades Highlands — just six days before theJudge Anne Hwang ruled on May 20 the defense could not introduce evidence or arguments about alleged negligence by the fire department in responding to the earlier blaze. Haney has said his client is being used as a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s failure to fully extinguish the earlier blaze.
Prosecutors claim Rinderknecht ignited the most expensive wildfire in US history, killing 12 people, torching thousands of homes and causing $150 billion in damages in January 2025. Rinderknecht appeared in court in a white shirt, black pants, blue tie, sporting a light beard, and with much shorter hair than the public last saw him. At times he was seen in light conversation with Haney. When asked after court how his client was doing, Haney said: “He’s doing all right.
He’s been in there for eight months, locked up. It’s always very, very difficult for a client who’s never been in trouble with the law before. ” Also in court taking a slew of notes was Rinderknecht’s dad Joel, who had little interaction with his son in the court room and had to sit in the back behind the jurors.
“His dad’s been able to visit him a few times at the jail but he flew in from France to support his son, and it’s good to have him here,” Haney said. The approximately 100 jurors, which included several races and ages, were asked to fill out a questionnaire and return to the court on Tuesday. A total of 12 jurors and 4 alternates will be selected from the nearly 100.
The judge told them not to talk to anyone about the case and not to watch or follow media coverage. According to court documents, law enforcement determined that the Palisades Fire was a “holdover” fire from the Lachman blaze which had continued to smolder and burn underground.
Rinderknecht was arrested on October 7 and a federal grand jury indicted him with one count of destruction of property by means of fire, one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and one count of timber set afire. Detectives – using witness statements, video surveillance, cellphone data, and analysis of fire dynamics and patterns at the scene – determined that Rinderknecht “maliciously” set the Lachman Fire just after midnight on Jan. 1, according to a statement by the Department of Justice.
Court hearings against Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht started Monday with jury deliberationsSteve Haney makes his way into a Los Angeles Federal Courthouse Monday morning with an associate. Prosecutors claim Rinderknecht ignited the most expensive wildfire in US history, killing 12 people, torching thousands of homes and causing $150 billion in damages in January 2025.
According to court documents, law enforcement determined that the Palisades Fire was a “holdover” fire from the Lachman blaze which had continued to smolder and burn underground.
Please follow us on Google to support us US News Arson California California Wildfires Court Firefighters Fires Karen Bass LA Fires 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Los Angeles Mayoral Race: Nithya Raman Closes Gap on Spencer Pratt in Ballot CountDemocrat Nithya Raman is narrowing the gap with Republican Spencer Pratt in the Los Angeles mayoral race, with the incumbent Mayor Karen Bass already securing her spot in the November runoff. As ballot counting continues, prediction markets show a 99% chance of a Bass-Raman runoff and only a 1% chance of a Bass-Pratt matchup. The race has become a focal point in debates over California's vote-counting process, sparking criticism from Republicans including former President Donald Trump.
Read more »
Nithya Raman chances against Karen Bass for LA mayor raceNithya Raman has pulled ahead of reality TV star Spencer Pratt in the race for second place in the LA mayoral contest.
Read more »
Cocky Karen Bass reacts to Nithya Raman jumping above Spencer Pratt in LA mayoral raceWhile the Bass campaign highlighted her sizable lead and “longstanding” record, strategists say Bass likely would have preferred to face Pratt rather than Raman in a runoff.
Read more »
Jury selection begins in trial for man accused of starting blaze that turned into Palisades FireJonathan Rinderknecht is accused of starting a blaze that prosecutors say grew into the deadly Palisades Fire.
Read more »