Danny Masterson Guilty Of Rape On Two Counts, Jury Decides; Facing 30 Years In Prison

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The jury in Danny Masterson’s rape retrial today found the actor guilty on the majority of the three counts against him.

After the verdicts were read out and the jury dismissed, Masterson was deemed a flight risk by Judge Charlaine Olemdo. With a dazed look on his face, the actor was cuffed and taken into custody despite the pleas of his lawyers. The next hearing on motions in the matter has been scheduled for August 4. A Sentencing hearing has not yet been set.

The actor is facing 30 years behind bars on the two counts he was found guilty of. Yet, similar to the first trial that ended late last year, the jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on sexual assault charges against Masterson.

Coming into court just before 1:50 p.m.. the jury informed the defendant, Judge Olemdo and others present that they found Masterson guilty of the “forceable rape” of two of the Jane Does, Jen B and N.T.

However, in what is still a stinging rebuke to the LA County District Attorney’s office, the jury foreperson acknowledged that after five votes, the panel was “hopelessly deadlocked” on the third count with a breakdown of eight guilty and four not guilty at last count. The last count involved Jane Doe #3 a.k.a Christina B, a former long term girlfriend of the defendant.

Looking at 15 to life on each charge he was found guilty of, Masterson sat expressionless as the verdicts were read out. However, seated just a few feet way, his wife Bijou Phillips could be heard crying in the courtroom. Other family and members of the actor’s legal team were openly crying also. After Masterson was taken away, family members like brother-in-law Billy Baldwin and friends stayed in the courtroom in an obvious state of shock.

The L.A. jury Wednesday delivered its partial verdict on the That ’70s Show actor after just over a week of deliberations. As in the first trial, all three of the Jane Does at the core of the charges testified.

Back from a long weekend break, the jurors started today around 10 a.m. with one member of the panel running late getting to the DTLA courthouse. With Masterson in the packed courtroom, Judge Olemdo announced that the jurors told her around 11 a.m. that they had a partial verdict. The judge told the defendant, the lawyers, family members and others in attendance that she advised the panel to fill out the required forms on what they had decided on before bringing the jury and the alternates into the courtroom.

Free until today on bail of $3 million, Masterson was arrested in 2020 over the alleged assaults that occurred between 2001 and 2003 in his Hollywood Hills house. The actor faced up to 45 years in a California state prison if found guilty on all three rape counts in this retrial.

The retrial began on April 24 and wrapped on May 12 with the defense calling no witnesses. Closing arguments started on May 16 and conclude early on May 17 with the final rebuttal delivered by Deputy LA County Attorney Reinhold Mueller before Judge Olemdo, Masterson and supporters, and the jury.

Unlike the first trial, this time, the D.A.’s office put explicit emphasis on the long time Scientologist allegedly spiking the drinks of his victims, all Scientologist themselves at the time. While calling prior bad acts witness who are not and have never been members of the L. Ron Hubbard formed church, prosecutors attempted to peel back the reality of Masterson’s status in Scientology. Further seeking to connect the jurors to a greater context of Masterson’s alleged misconduct, Mueller and fellow Deputy DA Ariel Anson also returned again and again supposed policies and practices of the organization that actively sought to stop the alleged victims from going to the police over the rapes.

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