SMC campus reacts to Palisades arson mistrial: ‘The book shouldn’t be thrown at him’
After the June 26 mistrial of alleged arsonist Jonathan Rinderknecht, faculty, students and staff at Santa Monica College (SMC) said they were unsure if he should be blamed for the fire's destruction. Some had questions about who is responsible for the rapid spread and devastation of the 2025 Palisades fire.
Lisa Junghahn, a law professor who previously worked as a criminal defense attorney, said she was not surprised by the trial's outcome.
After reviewing the facts of the case, Professor Junghahn said she was shocked the government chose to take it to trial, given the lack of evidence presented. “When I saw the information, I was like, ‘Who couldn't defend this guy if they don't have any case?’” she said.
Professor Junghahn said the odds of a conviction usually increase when a case is retried. However, in Rinderknecht’s case, she said unless additional evidence was admitted, “I don't see how they're going to get to a different outcome without different information.”
During a recent lecture on arson law, Professor Junghahn said she presented the case to her administration of justice class. She said most students agreed that Rinderknecht was to blame for the Lachman fire’s start, but not its reignition or spread a week later. She said a student whose family lost their home in the fire voiced a similar opinion.
Lisa Woldt, a writing tutor, said firefighters should have been more thorough when putting out the fire the first time. Woldt went on to say she was not sure whether Rinderknecht was guilty, but she understood the victims’ anger.
“If I were a Palisades resident, I probably would want to blame him, definitely, but that’s an emotional decision,” Woldt said.
However, Woldt also said that even if Rinderknecht did start the Lachman fire on Jan. 1, he shouldn’t be held responsible for what happened on Jan. 7. “The book shouldn’t be thrown at him because technically it could’ve still been prevented,” she said.
Ami Mammo, an architecture student, said that determining responsibility for the fire was important, but that blame likely lies with multiple parties. “I think it's important that the fire department or the police properly respond to the fire and make sure that the fire is gone,” Mammo said.
Another student, Daniel Jacob, said he cared less about who was to blame and more about the victims, “I just feel bad for the people that lost their homes,” he said, “They've lost a lot, but I hope they get as much help as they can.”
The 2025 Palisades fire, according to the Los Angeles Regional Fire Safe Council’s website, was the most devastating in Los Angeles city and county history. The fire burned down more than 6,000 structures and claimed the lives of a dozen, according to Cal Fire’s website.
The retrial of Jonathan Rinderknecht will start on Oct. 19.