Closing arguments are set to begin on Tuesday at the second trial of actor Danny Masterson, known for his role in That ’70s Show. Masterson is facing charges of raping three women at his Los Angeles home between 2001 and 2003. The trial has reached its three-week mark, with attorneys for both sides resting their cases on Friday. Surprisingly, Masterson’s defense attorneys chose not to call any witnesses.
This is Masterson’s second trial, as the first one ended in a mistrial in December due to a deadlock among jurors on all three counts. The actor has maintained his plea of not guilty. If convicted on all charges, he could face a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison.
The Church of Scientology, to which both Masterson and the three accusers were once affiliated, has played a prominent role in the second trial, even more so than in the first trial. The judge allowed a former church leader to testify as an expert regarding the institution’s policies on reporting to the police. Additionally, a controversy arose during the trial regarding a Scientology attorney allegedly having possession of trial evidence.
The women who accused Masterson testified that church officials discouraged them from reporting the incidents to authorities promptly. The church, however, denies having any policies that prohibit members from reporting other members to law enforcement.
Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo also permitted the prosecution to directly state that Masterson drugged each of the victims, whereas in the first trial, only secondary evidence of this claim was allowed.
Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller will be the first to present the closing argument on Tuesday morning in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom. Mueller’s goal will be to persuade the jury to reach a unanimous guilty verdict against Masterson, after failing to secure guilty votes from even half of the jurors in the first trial.
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