Danny Masterson’s attorneys tracked down jurors after they found him guilty of rape
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Attorneys working for That ’70s Show star Danny Masterson tracked down jurors who found him guilty of rape in a move that ‘troubled’ the judge in the case who had issued an order to limit available information about them.
Masterson, 48, is currently appealing his May 2023 conviction, in which he was found to have raped two women in the Church of Scientology in the early 2000s.
He was sentenced in September by a Los Angeles jury to 30 years to life behind bars with the possibility of parole for two counts of rape with force, violence or fear of bodily injury.
But according to the LA Times, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo said she was ‘troubled’ by the conduct of the attorneys who contacted jurors to interview them as part of his appeal effort, despite a judge’s order meant to limit the amount of publicly available information about them.
Olmedo said she received complaints from jurors who ‘felt pressured by the defense team’, adding that they were ‘not advised that they had the absolute right not to discuss the case if they did not want to.’
She wrote that several jurors had been the subject of ‘unwanted contact at their homes or work by members of the defense team’ and they wanted her to ‘inquire how the defense team obtained their identifying information.’
The judge said she was ‘troubled that they were approached at their homes.’
The newspaper reported that court filings show jurors emailed Olmedo over concerns that Masterson’s lawyers weren’t supposed to know where they lived or worked. One of Masterson’s lawyers, Shawn Holley, told the LA Times that she spoke with three jurors, including the foreperson, since the trial’s conclusion.
‘I made it clear to all 3 jurors with whom I spoke—and ultimately met— that they were under no obligation to speak with me or to meet with me, and they all were more than willing to do so. I met all 3 of them [separately] at times and places which were convenient for them and I was cordial and respectful of their time and boundaries.
‘I feel confident that none of the 3 jurors with whom I spoke/met reported our interaction to Judge Olmedo as harassing or improper.’ Eric Multhaup, another of Masterson’s attorneys, said one of his investigators located a juror through routine research, and contacted them before Olmedo’s order took effect on September 17.
It comes after Masterson was moved from maximum security prison Corcoran State Prison to the less harsh California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo, according to reports.
He was previously set to serve his term at Corcoran State Prison, which famously housed Charles Manson.
That prison, which was built in 1988, houses some of California’s most dangerous prisoners and has a sizable population of Level 4 inmates in need of extra protection and supervision.
California Men’s colony, however, is a medium- to minimum-security prison offer self-help and academic programs for inmates to learn vocational skills.
The courses include substance abuse counseling, mental health treatment and anger management.
Content retrieved from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14104541/danny-masterson-attorneys-jurors-guilty-rape.html.
