Danny Masterson Rape Trial Ends in Hung Jury

The choose within the Danny Masterson rape trial declared a hung jury on Wednesday, after the jurors mentioned they may not attain a verdict on any of the costs.

In a be aware to Choose Charlaine Olmedo, the jurors mentioned that “we aren’t even near coming to a unanimous choice on any depend, and are satisfied this won’t change.”

Masterson, the previous star of “That ’70s Present,” was charged with three counts of forcible rape referring to incidents involving three girls from 2001 to 2003. The fees carried a possible sentence of 45 years to life in jail.

The jurors knowledgeable the choose that they have been divided on every cost. The break up was two for responsible and 10 for not responsible on Depend 1; 4 for responsible and eight for not responsible on Depend 2; and 5 for responsible and 7 for not responsible on Depend 3.

The jury started deliberating after closing arguments on Nov. 15. On Nov. 18, the jurors knowledgeable Choose Charlaine Olmedo that they have been deadlocked on all three counts. Olmedo instructed them to return after the Thanksgiving vacation and preserve deliberating.

Two jurors have been excused on Monday after testing constructive for COVID-19, and have been changed with alternates. The jury was instructed to start deliberations over again. The brand new panel requested for readback of testimony from one of many accusers testimony late on Tuesday. After listening to that testimony on Wednesday, they returned to the jury room.

As soon as once more they have been unable to succeed in a unanimous verdict.

Masterson was accused of raping a longtime girlfriend in November 2001; a buddy of his assistant’s in April 2003; and a fellow actor in 2003. A fourth lady additionally testified that Masterson raped her on two events in 1996, although her allegations weren’t charged and have been used solely to help the opposite three accusations.

The prosecution alleged that Masterson felt a way of entitlement due to his appearing success and his excessive standing inside the Church of Scientology. The three accusers, all former Scientologists, have all mentioned that they have been discouraged from pondering of the assaults as “rape,” and two have alleged that the church threatened them with excommunication in the event that they went to the police.

The ladies have additionally alleged that they’ve been stalked and harassed by the church since coming ahead to the police in 2016. The church has denied these allegations, that are the topic of a separate civil swimsuit.

Masterson didn’t testify on the month-long trial. His lawyer, Philip Cohen, argued that the ladies’s accounts have been riddled with “contradictions and fabrications.” He additionally alleged that the accusers used Scientology as an excuse to elucidate away inconsistencies of their statements.