Read about our approach to external linking. All Rights Reserved. Taking Cohen to task as she did many times before in the last trial, Olmedo also bluntly told the defense lawyer, Mr. Scroll down for more details on Mastersons sexual assault case, trial and his ongoing civil lawsuit: Actor Danny Masterson drugged then raped three women at his Hollywood-area home between 2001 and 2003, a prosecutor told jurors Monday in his opening Like the last trial, Cohen used a large slab of his opening statement to undercut the credibility of the Jane Does and who said what when and to whom. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. One of three women to accuse actor Danny Masterson of rape testified about the alleged assault and said the Church of Scientology tried to discourage her from reporting the incident to police. CNNs Cheri Mossburg contributed to this report. Masterson continued: I have never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one. Addressing the jurors as he spoke in a much stronger voice than last time and with a constant stream of images of the Jane Does on the nearby video monitor, Mueller bluntly told the panel that there would be no expert taking the stand to testify whether the women had been slipped something by Masterson. Cohen told jurors that another of the women, a young actress who spent an evening alone with Masterson at his house in 2003, made no mention of drugging at the time. Danny Masterson will be retried on three counts of rape after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the That 70s Show actor's first trial last year. Its a dishonest and hallucinatory publicity stunt.. Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller said Masterson put substances into drinks that he gave to a longtime girlfriend and two women he knew through friend circles around the Church of Scientology, all of whom Masterson is charged with raping. This was a stark contrast to the use of much more limited technology in the previous trial, which was minimal and lightly informative at best. Masterson has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Before that, citing Jen Bs 2004 LAPD report, Cohen put the credibility of now-Superintendent Alexander Schlegel as well as that of other law enforcement up against that of Jane Doe No. Firstarrested in 2020over incidents that occurred between 2001 and 2003 in his Hollywood Hills house, Masterson faces up to 45 years in state prison if found guilty on all three rape counts, as he did in the first trial. Actor Danny Masterson, with his attorney, Sharon Appelbaum, in court in 2020, is accused of sexually assaulting three women in his Hollywood Hills home in the early 2000s. In the first trial, prosecutors strongly suggested but never truly came out to claim the relatively famous Masterson date-raped the Jane Does by dropping something in the fruity drinks he mixed for the women in question. It added: "We also want to give our heartfelt appreciation to the victims for bravely stepping forward and recounting their harrowing experiences.". While Laura Prepon, Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher and Wilmer Valderrama all reprised their roles in Netflixs sequel series, Mastersons That 70s Show character, Hyde, is not part of That 90s Show. Did you encounter any technical issues? CNN has reached out to Mastersons attorney for comment. Not giving these victims another chance with a jury who can sit there and consider all of the evidence win, lose, or draw that would be an injustice, Mueller said. In a statement, the attorney's office said: "While we are disappointed with the outcome in this trial, we thank the jurors for their service." Discovery Company. Deliberations in the case began in mid-November, but soon reached a deadlock which could not be resolved. Simpsons so-called Dream Team, plus legal battles for seemingly lost causes like Lindsey Lohan, the Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump Holley LLP partner could prove a decisive factor for the defense, especially when it comes to questioning Mastersons accusers on the stand. Within Scientology, this becomes panic stations, high alert.. Church policy explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land.. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Olmedo quickly rejected that suggestion and Cohens claim that she previously agreed to such a designation. In the first trial, Hollywood lawyer Marty Singer was set to be called as a witness for his role in this portion of the matter; at the time, the pugilistic Singer was even seen seated in the 9th floor halls of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center waiting to take the stand. In November 2022, the jury was unable to come to a unanimous vote on the three charges Masterson faced causing the judge to declare it a mistrial. One of the women who testified at the hearing said that when she reported the alleged rape to church officials, she was told to read the chapter of Introduction to Scientology Ethics that instructs members not to go to police in such cases. If youre a member of the church and you have an issue (like a rape) with another member you are not permitted to go to law enforcement, Mueller said of the churchs internal justice system. The prosecutor explained that if Christina B, or any church member for that matter, went to the police to report such an alleged crime, she would be declared a suppressed person and promptly excommunicated from Scientology. He has since pleaded not guilty after being charged in June 2020 with allegedly raping three women. However, we are collectively resolved to continue our fight for justice., Alleged victim testifies: Danny Masterson accuser alleges 2003 rape, says actor choked her. There is no drug charge, the lawyer said, ripping into the date-rape drug claims that Mueller put front and center in his own opening statement. In a one-on-one meeting, a church ethics officer told her not to use the R-word and said it would be a high crime to report another Scientologist to law enforcement, the woman testified. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to Us in March 2017 that they were investigating claims that Masterson sexually assaulted multiple women in the early 2000s. Cohen please do not use quotes, do not use previous testimony. To cut off Cohens repeated mentioning of private and protected information of the Jane Does in front of the jury, onlookers and the typing media, the judge saidstop apologizing for using first names just dont do it!. Joining the returning Cohen at Mastersons table is the high-profile Holley, who took a leading role right away today. Stephanie Baer is a reporter with BuzzFeed News and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. As they are expected to do this time round, the Cohen-led defense tried to varying degrees of failure to do everything they could to limit mention of the church. More questions answered, Masterson'sdefense attorneyPhilip Cohen filed a motion to have the rape charges tossed after a judge announced a retrial date for March. To hold otherwise would bind members irrevocably to a faith they have the constitutional right to leave.. Its a new era. The activities of Scientology have been so much a part of the evidence thats being put forth as to why these women were not immediately going to law enforcement that its sort of brought the dirty laundry out into public view, which is exactly what Scientology does not want to have happen, said Mike Rinder, the churchs former top spokesman, who left the faith in 2007. The actress took to social media this morning before the jury were in court to announce her presence and her reason for being here: I am attending opening arguments in the rape trial of celebrity Scientologist Danny Masterson today.The women who Danny raped deserve justice for what theyve been put through, not only by Danny but by Scientology which has tried to destroy them for reporting their rapes. Danny Masterson will be retried for three counts of rape after his case ended in a mistrial on Nov. 30. Danny Masterson trial for rape case ends: What was he accused of? Mastersons friend, unhappy with the way the Scientology ethics board handled her complaint about him, filed a police report in 2004 that didnt result in charges. The Men at Work alum has maintained his innocence since the allegations first surfaced, telling Us Weekly in a statement in December 2017, From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. All Rights Reserved. She reached for his hair to try to pull him off and attempted to push a pillow into his face, it states. Atty. Thats when, just over an hour after a return from a lunch break, a frustrated Olmedo told the jury to leave and gave the assembled lawyers a piece of her judicial mind. 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The Men at Work alum has maintained his innocence since the allegations first surfaced, telling Us Weekly in a statement in December 2017, From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller told the court Tuesday that his office intends to pursue a second trial against Masterson, who is charged with three counts of rape by force or fear for allegedly sexually assaulting three women at his Hollywood Hills home in 2001 and 2003. Danny Masterson leaves Los Angeles County Superior Court with his wife, Bijou Phillips, after a judge declared a mistrial in his rape case on Nov. 30, 2022. Masterson, who has been free on bail since his 2020 arrest, sat at the defense table, with a large coterie of supporters behind him, many if not all church members, who also sat through his first trial. Actor Danny Mastersons sexual assault trial was declared a mistrial on Wednesday, with the jury unable to reach a unanimous verdict on three criminal counts She spoke to her mom about how her date with Masterson went, she spoke to her friends, she did not ever say to one person, I was drugged. Never, Cohen said. Mastersons attorney, Thomas Mesereau, initially tried to minimize Scientologys place in the case, asking Olmedo to issue an order limiting mentions of the church or its practices in court. Mr Masterson, who is best known for his role in the sitcom That 70s Show, was accused of raping three women at his home in Hollywood in the early 2000s. Masterson is charged with three counts of forcible rape in the L.A. trial, and faces up to 45 years in state prison if found guilty. The other two accusers, Chrissie Carnell Bixler and Bobette Riales, previously dated the star. A Judge Declared A Mistrial For Actor Danny Masterson, Who Was Accused Of Violently Raping Three Women, That 70s Show Actor Danny Masterson Didnt Care That The Women He Allegedly Raped Told Him No, Prosecutors Said During Closing Arguments, A Woman Who Said That 70s Show Actor Danny Masterson Raped Her Testified That She Thought He Was Going To Kill Her, Two Women Who Said That 70s Show Actor Danny Masterson Raped Them Were Pressured By Scientology To Stay Quiet, Prosecutors Said, discussion about the Church of Scientology. I am also so thankful to the fans that have supported me and continue to do so, he added. According to prosecutors, Masterson assaulted Kathy J. after he gave her a vodka drink that made her feel lightheaded and then, after he guided her onto a bed, like she couldnt move.. appreciated. Masterson could face up to 45 years to a life sentence in state prison if convicted. On Wednesday, Deputy District A retrial date has been set for March 29, beginning with jury selection. Like other rapes cited by the D.A., Jenkins was handed a drink by Masterson and supposedly became light head and confused soon afterwards. 2. Actor Leah Remini, a former Scientologist who has become the church's most prominent detractor on social media and through a TV series she hosted featuring dissident ex-members, sat in the front row of the courtroom in support of Mastersons accusers. Variety In order to view the gallery, please allow Manage Cookies. It is unclear whether the defense will roll the dice and put Masterson on the stand to testify in his own defense. Masterson played Jameson Rooster Bennett on the Netflix series for three seasons alongside former That 70s Show costar Ashton Kutcher before he was fired in the wake of his sexual assault allegations. My truth will be heard., Riales also showed Chrissie Carnell Bixler, who is one of Mastersons exes and another accuser, support, tweeting, I applaud her strength as well #metoo #sisters.. It was a type of public dissection that is unusual for the insular, enigmatic institution. The Times generally does not We also are thankful for the hard work of the prosecution team and we will now consider our next steps as it relates to prosecuting this case.. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? However, Mueller did say that a member of the LAPD toxicology unit will testify how common date-rape drugs metabolize and the whether they are consistent or inconsistent with the situations all three Jane Does described suddenly feeling not long after Masterson handed them a drink. The show also starred Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon and Wilmer Valderrama. The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually assaulted. (The pair are parents of daughter Fianna, born in 2014. Although the defense sought to have any mention of Scientology barred from the proceedings during a pre-trial hearing, the request was denied. We also want to give our heartfelt appreciation to the victims for bravely stepping forward and recounting their harrowing experiences. Outside of the court, Masterson did not respond to a verbal request for comment. This is an ongoing article that was originally published in January 2022 and last updated in April 2023. Credit: LUCY NICHOLSON/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock. "Not giving these victims another chance with a jury who can sit there and consider all of the evidence win, lose or draw that would be an injustice.". Masterson is still a member. Three women took the stand to recount sexual assaults allegedly committed by the celebrity Scientologist, and each told similar stories of how church officials tried to stop them from reporting Masterson to police. Church policy explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land, including the reporting of crimes. Attorneys for both sides acknowledged that there is no forensic evidence of any substances Masterson may have given the women because the police investigation that led to the two trials did not begin until about 15 years after the events. Another woman, who was born into Scientology and planned to report Masterson to police in 2004, a year after she said he raped her at his Hollywood mansion, recounted how a Scientology attorney showed up at her familys home. Judge Charlaine Olmedo expressed a desire to pursue justice in a statement during the hearing, according to The Wrap. That case is expected to restart again later this summer. At the time of the alleged incident, assistant prop master Jenkins while her husband was just down the hall. She testified she had set boundaries and was clear there was to be no sex. 'Tiger King' star Joe Exotic loses appealof murder-for-hire prison sentence, Contributing: Maria Puente, Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY; Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press, This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Danny Masterson rape case will go to court again following mistrial, What was he accused of?
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