Judge Eleanor Hunter has ruled that Danny Masterson’s rape trial will proceed despite his lawyers' attempts to argue that the alleged crimes fall outside the statute of limitations. In June, the 44-year-old actor was charged with rape by force or fear after a three-year investigation.
The prosecution alleges that the That 70s Show star, who is currently out on a $3.3 million bail, raped three women on separate occasions in the early 2000s. Masterson has denied the charges against him.
On Monday, his lawyers Thomas Mesereau and Sharon Appelbaum argued in Los Angeles Superior Court that the three charges of rape, which allegedly occurred between 2001 and 2003, fall outside the statute of limitations and should be dismissed.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has charged Masterson under California’s “one strike” sex offense law, which contemplates a life sentence for certain sex offenses, including those involving multiple victims. The case will now move forward on November 2 after the judge refused the request for dismissal. Hunter has also rejected a defense motion to keep cameras out of the courtroom during the trial.
In 2017, Masterson was fired from the Netflix series The Ranch after the allegations surfaced. He has been accused of raping a 23-year-old woman in 2001, of raping a 28-year-old woman in 2003, and of raping a 23-year-old woman "some time" between the months of October and December of 2003, according to a news release from the DA's office. A fifth woman who dated Masterson made similar rape accusations in December 2017.
In a statement, Masterson's attorney Tom Mesereau said his client “is innocent, and we’re confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify. The people who know Mr. Masterson know his character and know the allegations to be false.”
Masterson, who is a Scientologist, married actress Bijou Phillips in 2011. Their daughter, Fianna Francis Masterson was born on February 14, 2014. Phillips has defended her husband against the rape charges. She also defended her late father, The Mamas & The Papas guitarist John Phillips, who was accused of rape and incest by Phillips' half-sister, One Day at a Time actress Mackenzie Phillips.
Source: Fox News