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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Closing arguments are expected Tuesday in the Second instance ’70s Show’ actor Danny Masterson accused of raping three women At his home in Los Angeles from 2001 to 2003.
Lawyers for both sides put their cases on hold on Friday, three weeks after the trial began. Defense attorneys for Masterson declined to call any witnesses.
The 47 year old The first trial ended in trial failure In December, jurors were hopelessly deadlocked on all three counts.
The actor has pleaded not guilty. If convicted on all three counts, he could face up to 45 years in prison.
Masterson is a member of the Church of Scientology, and all three women are former members, and the Church of Scientology played a larger role in the second trial than in the first. A judge allowed a former member of the church’s leadership to testify as an expert on the institution’s policy on calling the police, and court controversy erupted during the trial over the apparent possession of trial evidence by Scientologist lawyers.
The women testified that church officials prevented them from going to authorities once they learned about Masterson. The church has denied any policy prohibiting members from reporting other members to law enforcement.
Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo also allowed the prosecution to say that Masterson drugged each victim. Olmedo was only allowed to present secondary evidence in the first instance.
Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller will first deliver closing arguments Tuesday morning in court in downtown Los Angeles. He will try to convince a jury to convict Masterson unanimously after he failed to get half of the jury to vote guilty on any count at his first trial.
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