‘Desperate deadlock’ jury leads to failed trial of actor Danny Masterson

A judge has declared a mistrial after jurors reached a “desperate deadlock” in the case of ’70s Show actor Danny Masters, accused of three counts of rape.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo ordered jurors to take a Thanksgiving break and continue their deliberations after telling jurors on Nov. 18 they could not reach a consensus on the rape allegation, amid the month-long trial. , the Church of Scientology played a supporting role.

Masterson, 46, is accused of raping three women, including an ex-girlfriend, at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003.

He has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers say the actions were consensual.

All three women were members of the church at the time, and Masterson is still one of them.

“I find that the jurors are hopelessly deadlocked,” the judge declared after asking the court if there was anything the court could do to bring them closer to a unanimous decision.

Jurors said they voted seven times on Tuesday and Wednesday but could not reach a consensus on any of the three counts.

Only two jurors voted to convict on the first count, four on the second and five on the third, the jury foreman said.

Jurors were forced to start their deliberations from scratch on Monday when two jurors had to be dismissed after contracting Covid-19. They discussed for two days, still no conclusion.

The result was a serious setback for prosecutors and the three women who said they were seeking long-overdue justice.

The proceedings come amid a string of #MeToo-laced cases on both sides of the Strait, including Harvey Weinstein’s Los Angeles trial across from Masterson Hall.

In New York, Kevin Spacey won a sexual misconduct lawsuit brought by actor Anthony Rapp, while in a separate civil case a jury ordered director and screenwriter Paul Haggis to pay $10m (£8.3m).