Actor Danny Masterson must stand trial on 3 rape charges [View all]
Source: AP
By ANDREW DALTON
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge on Friday said “That ’70s Show” actor Danny Masterson must stand trial on three counts of rape after hearing days of dramatic and emotional testimony from three women who said he attacked them in 2001 and 2003.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo made the determination after the prosecution laid out its evidence over four days. She said she found the women’s testimony credible for the purposes of a preliminary hearing, where the bar for sufficient evidence is much lower than at trial.
The forthcoming trial will represent the rare prosecution of a Hollywood figure in the #MeToo era despite dozens of investigations by police and the Los Angeles district attorney, most of which have ended without charges.
Masterson denies the rape charges. His attorney, Thomas Mesereau, said Masterson had consensual sex with the women and that he would prove his client’s innocence.
FILE - Danny Masterson arrives at The Unveiling of Seedling's Arts District Headquarters on May 28, 2015, in Los Angeles. Masterson's attorney Thomas Mesereau repeatedly challenged a woman on the witness stand during a hearing on Thursday, May 20, 2021, to determine whether Masterson should stand trial on three counts of rape. He has pleaded not guilty. (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File)
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/danny-masterson-religion-entertainment-trials-arts-and-entertainment-c53cf75f0170ea7c4d81d11354b5831a
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