Sentencing is scheduled for Thursday for Danny Masterson, the actor known for his role in the TV show “That ’70s Show”. Masterson was convicted in May of raping two women at his Hollywood Hills home approximately twenty years ago.
Masterson, 47, has been in jail since he was taken into custody shortly after the jury’s verdict on May 31. He was found guilty of two counts of rape by force or fear and could face a maximum sentence of up to 30 years to life in state prison, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo is expected to hear victim impact statements from the two women who Masterson was convicted of raping, as well as from the third alleged victim in the dismissed count. The judge denied the prosecution’s request to allow three other women, including two who had testified about alleged uncharged crimes, to speak at Masterson’s sentencing.
In a previous hearing, one of Masterson’s attorneys, Shawn Holley, expressed that the defense wanted more time to prepare a motion for a new trial for the actor. Holley suggested that the judge hear from the victims on the scheduled sentencing date and then postpone the sentencing. However, the judge rejected the defense’s motion to delay the sentencing, stating that there was no good cause to do so.
This was the second trial for Masterson, who was charged in 2020 with three counts of rape by force or fear involving the three women on separate occasions. The first trial concluded with a mistrial being declared on November 30, as the jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision. In the retrial, Masterson was convicted of two rapes and the jury deadlocked on a rape charge involving a third alleged victim.
Prosecutors announced in July that they would not retry the charge involving the third alleged victim, and the charge was subsequently dismissed. However, the defense motion to dismiss the count with prejudice was rejected by the judge.
In his closing argument during the retrial, the prosecutor emphasized that Masterson had drugged and raped each of the victims. The defense attorney, on the other hand, questioned the credibility of the women. The prosecutor countered by stating that the women, like Masterson, were members of the Church of Scientology and that the church retaliated against them.
Outside the presence of the jury, the judge rejected the defense’s requests for a mistrial or a special jury instruction due to the repeated references to the women being drugged. The Church of Scientology released a statement denying the prosecution’s characterizations of its actions.
A civil lawsuit was filed in August 2019 against Masterson and the Church of Scientology by the three women involved in the criminal case and another woman who was not a member of the church. The lawsuit alleges that they were stalked and harassed after reporting sexual assault allegations against Masterson to the police.
In December 2017, Masterson was fired from the TV show “The Ranch” following the sexual assault allegations. Masterson expressed his disappointment and denied the allegations, stating that he looked forward to clearing his name.
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