Mistrial after jury deadlock in Danny Masterson rape case



LOS ANGELES (AP) — A justice declared a mistrial Wednesday connected the rape proceedings of “That ’70s Show” histrion Danny Masterson aft jurors, who were leaning powerfully person to acquitting him, deadlocked pursuing the monthlong proceedings wherein the Church of Scientology played a helping function.

Prosecutors said Masterson raped 3 girls, which see a erstwhile girlfriend, successful his Hollywood Hills location among 2001 and 2003 and the religion dissuaded them from going nationalist for years. Masterson, 46, pleaded nary longer liable and his lawyer stated the acts had been each consensual.

“I find the jurors hopelessly deadlocked,” Judge Charlaine Olmedo declared aft the assemblage foreman stated determination has been not thing the tribunal docket could bash to determination them towards attaining a unanimous decision. She acceptable a March day for a retrial successful Los Angeles Superior Court.

Olmedo had ordered jurors to instrumentality Thanksgiving week disconnected and sphere reasoning of aft they stated connected Nov. 18 that they couldn't attain a consensus. A assemblage of six women and six guys began deliberations anew Monday aft alternates changed jurors who person been identified with COVID-19 implicit the destroy.

Jurors voted 7 instances Tuesday and Wednesday without being capable to scope statement connected immoderate of the 3 counts, the foreman said. Two jurors voted for condemnation connected the archetypal remember, 4 voted for condemnation connected the 2nd 1 substance and 5 voted to convict astatine the 0.33 number number.

The effect turned into a superior setback for prosecutors, and for the 3 ladies who said they had been successful hunt of agelong past owed justness and provided affectional and representation grounds implicit galore days.

Two of the alleged victims wrong the lawsuit issued a declaration saying they had been disillusioned “Masterson has kept distant from transgression work for his deplorable acts. However, we're collectively resolved to proceed our combat for justice.”

All 3 ladies person been members of the religion astatine the time, and Masterson remains one.

Two of the girls and the hubby of 1 are suing Masterson, the Church of Scientology, its main David Miscavige and others for allegedly stalking, harassing and intimidating them aft they sought to exposure Masterson.

Masterson near courtroom with his wife, histrion and exemplary Bijou Phillips, with retired talking to newshounds. He became followed to tribunal galore days via contributors of his showbiz household arsenic good arsenic his sisters-in-law: histrion Mackenzie Phillips and vocalist and histrion Chynna Phillips, and her husband, histrion William 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley.

The lawsuits befell amid a flurry of instances connected each coasts with #MeToo connotations, which includes the Los Angeles proceedings of Harvey Weinstein simply down the hallway from Masterson’s. In New York, Kevin Spacey gained a intersexual misconduct suit introduced by utilizing histrion Anthony Rapp successful New York, and a assemblage ordered manager and screenwriter Paul Haggis to wage $10 million successful a civilian lawsuit there.

But astatine the Masterson trial, arsenic astatine the Haggis trial, #MeToo implications person been successful ample portion eclipsed by mode of the specter of Scientology, nary substance the decide’s insistence that the religion nary longer crook retired to beryllium a de facto defendant.

Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller said the religion had tried to soundlessness the women and that turned into the crushed it took 2 a agelong clip for the lawsuit to get to trial.

Masterson lawyer Philip Cohen said the religion became mentioned 700 instances astatine immoderate signifier successful proceedings and argued that it person go an excuse for the prosecution’s nonaccomplishment to conception a believable lawsuit towards Masterson, a salient Scientologist.

Church spokesperson Karin Pouw said Mueller had misrepresented religion doctrine and beliefs and the Jane Does made mendacious allegations astir Scientology.

“There is 0 information to immoderate of the grounds that the religion has stressed oregon stalked the Jane Does,” Pouw said.

Cohen stated helium would study a question to disregard the case, based wholly astatine the mode the assemblage voted. He stated jurors provided further insights aft the mistrial ruling that person been utile but wouldn’t speech what they instructed him.

“You perpetually astonishment arsenic a ineligible nonrecreational if what you’re doing successful tribunal docket each time is making immoderate inroads ... With the jury,” Cohen stated. “Clearly we made inroads.”

The territory lawyer’s bureau said successful a connection that it was disappointed with the last results and would recollect its consequent steps. It thanked the girls for “bravely stepping guardant and recounting their harrowing experiences.”

Jurors were escorted retired of the courthouse without speaking with journalists.

Masterson did present not testify. Cohen offered nary extortion grounds and alternatively focused connected inconsistencies successful the accounts of the 3 accusers, who helium said changed their memories done the years and spoke with each antithetic earlier going to police.

“The cardinal to this illustration is not erstwhile they reported it,” Cohen stated each done last arguments. “It’s what they stated erstwhile they said it. What they said erstwhile they stated it. And what they stated astatine trial.”

Mueller argued that Masterson turned into a antheral “for whom ‘no’ ne'er expected ‘no.’”

Two women stated they person been served drinks by utilizing Masterson and person go woozy oregon passed retired earlier being violently raped. One said she conception she would dice arsenic Masterson held a pillow implicit her face.

An ex-female person said she awakened to locating Masterson having enactment on with her without her consent. The extortion said her claims were undermined due to the fact that she aboriginal had enactment with him erstwhile they broke up.

Cohen informed jurors they could acquit Masterson successful the lawsuit that they conception helium “definitely and reasonably believed” the girls consented to having intercourse. Mueller countered that nary idiosyncratic could judge arsenic existent with the acts described had been consensual, reminding jurors that 1 miss again and again told him “no,” pulled his hairsbreadth and attempted to get retired from nether him.

Mueller instructed jurors nary longer to beryllium swayed by means of extortion proposal and said contradictions successful the sufferers’ grounds were ss of authenticity successful spot of debts that had been scripted.

The charges day to a play whilst Masterson go astatine the tallness of his reputation, starring from 1998 till 2006 arsenic Steven Hyde connected Fox’s “That ’70s Show.” The amusement made stars of Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace and is getting an upcoming Netflix reboot with “That ’90s Show.”

Masterson had reunited with Kutcher connected the Netflix drama “The Ranch” nevertheless became written disconnected the amusement portion an LAPD probe became recovered retired successful December 2017.