Jury selection is beginning in the Palisades Fire arson case, marking a key stage in one of the most closely watched prosecutions tied to the fires in Los Angeles. The start of the process moves the case toward trial.
Prosecutors say the defendant, Jonathan Rinderknecht, set the fire at the center of the case. According to their account, it is the blaze known as the Palisades Fire.
The consequences of that fire were severe. Prosecutors say it burned homes and forced evacuations in Los Angeles, causing significant disruption across the affected area.
Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. His denial sets up a contested case as jury selection gets under way.
The defense has laid out its central argument. It contends that Rinderknecht is being used as a scapegoat for the city's failure to gain control of another fire, shifting the focus toward the wider response to the blazes.
With jurors now being selected, the case is set to test those competing narratives in court. The trial will weigh the prosecution's claim that Rinderknecht started the Palisades Fire against the defense's argument that he is being unfairly blamed.