Danny Masterson was found guilty Wednesday in his rape retrial. He was found guilty on two counts. The jury was hung on a third charge.
The former “That ’70s Show” actor was on trial for the second time in less than six months after his first ended in a mistrial.
Masterson, 47, initially faced up to 45 years in prison if he was found guilty on three counts of rape by force or fear on alleged sexual assaults, which occurred between 2001 and 2003 at his Hollywood Hills home.
He was arrested in June 2020 and has been free on a $3.3 million bond. Masterson pleaded not guilty to the charges and has maintained his innocence.
MISTRIAL DECLARED IN DANNY MASTERSON’S RAPE TRIAL
Danny Masterson arrived at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday. (Myung J. Chun)
A jury of seven men and five women heard closing arguments from Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson on May 16.
“The defendant drugs his victims to gain control. He does this to take away his victims’ ability to consent,” Anson said. “You don’t want to have sex? You don’t have a choice. The defendant makes that choice for these victims. And he does it over and over and over again.”
DANNY MASTERSON’S RAPE RETRIAL BEGINS WITH JURY SELECTION PROCESS IN LA
Masterson’s attorney, Philip Cohen, argued that inconsistencies in the women’s stories were downplayed by the district attorney, and essential for proving reasonable doubt of Masterson’s guilt.
Danny Masterson appears in court in Los Angeles earlier this month. (Chris Pizzello)
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“She did a very nice job of ignoring many of them,” Cohen said. “What she views as little inconsistencies are at the heart of trying to determine, ‘Is somebody, reliable, credible, believable enough for a criminal conviction?’”
Cohen filed a motion to dismiss the counts in January, citing a retrial would “not differ materially from the prior trial” with little likelihood of a different outcome.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo declared the mistrial in November after finding jurors “hopelessly deadlocked” in reaching a unanimous decision.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report