Palisades Fire Defendant's Attorney Calls Client a 'Scapegoat' as Trial Continues

Executive Briefing

• Defends client Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, arguing prosecution relies entirely on circumstantial evidence with no direct footage
• Prosecutors presented ChatGPT conversations, angry texts, and a French music video as evidence of the defendant's state of mind
• Experts testified the catastrophic Jan. 7 fire rekindled from a smaller Jan. 1 blaze that smoldered underground for days
• Defense notes Rinderknecht was not near Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7 when the fire explosively spread
• Public anger previously targeted Mayor Karen Bass, who was abroad in Ghana when the fire erupted
• Defense case expected to begin Thursday, with attorney urging the all-LA jury to follow evidence over pretrial bias