Jurors in the rape retrial of actor Danny Masterson will have to resume talks following the holiday weekend after deliberating for more than a week without reaching a verdict.
The Los Angeles County jury of seven women and five men went home on Friday without reaching a verdict on any of the three counts of rape against the 47-year-old, best known for starring in That ’70s Show.
Masterson could get up to 45 years in prison if convicted of all three.
The jury got the case as closing arguments ended on May 17th.
With planned time off, they have been talking for a total of six-and-a-half days and have had relatively few questions for the judge.
Jurors have asked for the reading back of some testimony — including part of the cross-examination of Masterson’s former girlfriend, who is one of the three accusers.
The jury will return to court on Wednesday morning after taking the weekend, Memorial Day in the US and another planned day off.
In the actor’s first trial, long deliberations led to a mistrial in December, when jurors were unable to come to consensus on any counts. A majority voted to acquit him on each. A retrial began in April.
Prosecutors allege that Masterson drugged and raped the three women, including a former long-time girlfriend, at his Hollywood area home between 2001 and 2003, when he was at the height of his fame for the Fox TV sitcom That ’70s Show.
Masterson has pleaded not guilty.
The defence said he had consensual sex with the women and attempted to discredit their stories by pointing to inconsistencies.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/, or visit Rape Crisis Help.
In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.
