Exclusive | Fury erupts as Karen Bass avoids the witness stand in Palisades Fire trial

Karen Bass will not be forced to testify at the trial for the firebug accused of starting the deadly Pacific Palisades inferno, a judge has ruled.Court hearings against Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht 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.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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Never miss a story “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 [Rinderknecht] 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.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 the catastrophic Palisades Fire tore through the area.

He has pleaded not guilty.Judge Anne Hwang ruled...