Mistrial declared in actor Danny Masterson's rape trial



LOS ANGELES (AP) — A determine declared a mistrial Wednesday aft jurors stated they were hopelessly deadlocked astatine the proceedings of “That ’70s Show” histrion Danny Masterson, who turned into charged with 3 rapes.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo had ordered the jurors to instrumentality Thanksgiving week disconnected and clasp reasoning of erstwhile they advised her connected Nov. 18 that they could not travel to a statement astir the rape allegations aft a monthlong proceedings wherein the Church of Scientology performed a supporting position.

Masterson, 46, changed into charged with the rape of 3 women, unneurotic with a erstwhile woman friend, successful his Hollywood Hills home betwixt 2001 and 2003. He pleaded present not blameworthy and his lawyer said the acts had been each consensual. All 3 girls were contributors of the religion astatine the time, and Masterson remains one.

“I find the jurors hopelessly deadlocked,” Judge Charlaine Olmedo declared aft inquiring whether determination has been thing the courtroom ought to bash to transport them person to achieving a unanimous decision. She acceptable a March day for a retrial.

Jurors said they'd voted 7 times Tuesday and Wednesday without being susceptible of scope statement connected immoderate of the 3 counts.

The assemblage foreman said astir effectual 2 jurors voted for condemnation connected the superior depend, 4 voted for condemnation connected the 2nd 1 retrieve and 5 voted to convict astatine the 0.33 remember.

Jurors person been compelled to commencement deliberations from scratch connected Monday whilst 2 had to beryllium disregarded due to the fact that they got present down with COVID-19. They deliberated for 2 days nevertheless inactive could not attain verdicts.

The effect changed into a captious setback for prosecutors, and for the 3 women who stated they were searching for lengthy precocious justice.

The tribunal cases befell amid a flurry of cases connected each coasts with #MeToo connotations, specified arsenic the Los Angeles proceedings of Harvey Weinstein simply down the corridor from Masterson’s. In New York, Kevin Spacey received a intersexual misconduct suit introduced via 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 connected the Haggis trial, the #MeToo implications person been successful ample portion eclipsed by utilizing the specter of Scientology, contempt the judge’s insistence that the religion present not go a de facto defendant.

The girls, each known arsenic Jane Does and each erstwhile contributors of the church, stated they person been intimidated, stressed and stalked aft Masterson turned into charged. They person repeated those allegations successful a pending suit towards the church.

Masterson lawyer Philip Cohen said the religion became mentioned 7 100 times during proceedings and argued that it became an excuse for the prosecution’s nonaccomplishment to physique a plausible lawsuit against Masterson, a salient Scientologist.

But Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller stated the religion had tried to soundlessness the girls and that turned into the crushed it took galore years for the lawsuit to get to trial.

Masterson did nary longer testify. His ineligible nonrecreational supplied nary defence grounds and alternatively targeted connected inconsistencies wrong the bills of the 3 accusers, who helium stated modified their tales done the years and spoke with each different earlier going to police.

“The cardinal to this lawsuit isn't ever erstwhile they pronounced it,” Cohen said each done closing arguments. “It’s what they stated erstwhile they reported it. What they stated erstwhile they suggested it. And what they said astatine trial.”

Mueller argued that Masterson go a idiosyncratic “for whom ‘no’ by nary means meant ‘no,’” arsenic shown by the representation and affectional grounds of the 3 accusers.

Two ladies said they were served liquids with the assistance of Masterson and person go woozy oregon exceeded retired earlier than being violently raped. One stated she conception she mightiness dice arsenic Masterson held a pillow implicit her face.

An ex-female person said she awoke to locating Masterson having enactment unneurotic with her without her consent. The extortion said her claims had been undermined owed to the information she aboriginal had enactment with him aft they broke up.

Cohen advised jurors they mightiness acquit Masterson successful the lawsuit that they thought helium “simply and reasonably believed” the women consented to having intercourse. Mueller countered that nary idiosyncratic could judge the acts described person been consensual, reminding jurors that 1 pistillate clip and again instructed him “no,” pulled his hairsbreadth and tried to get retired from nether him.

Mueller instructed jurors not to beryllium swayed by utilizing extortion speculation and stated contradictions wrong the victims’ grounds person been ss and symptoms of authenticity alternatively of wealth owed that had been scripted.

The fees day to a magnitude erstwhile Masterson turned into astatine the highest of his repute, starring from 1998 until 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 astatine the Netflix drama “The Ranch” nevertheless turned into written disconnected the amusement whilst an LAPD probe turned into revealed successful December 2017.