Last year, actor Danny Masterson was charged and tried on three rape charges. Ultimately, the jury ended up deadlocked and Masterson was not found guilty. Two months later, prosecutors in Los Angeles have decided to pursue a second trial.
“Our office has decided to retry this case,” Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller said, per Variety.
“Not giving these victims another chance with a jury who can sit there and consider all of the evidence — win, lose or draw –- that would be an injustice.”
Masterson’s attorney motioned to have the trial dismissed, but Judge Charlaine Olmedo shot down the request.
“It’s not that things were ignored that Mr. Mueller thinks were important or significant,” Masterson’s attorney, Philip Cohen, said, per Variety.
“It’s that things were discussed and not believed to be important to decision-making for some of the jurors.”
Judge Charlaine Olmedo pushed back against Cohen’s assertions. Olmedo says “a different outcome at a retrial is at least a possibility.”
“It appears there are many other witnesses the People could choose to call or different arguments the People could choose to make,” Olmedo said, per Variety.
Jury selection for the second trial has been set for March 29, 2023. Similar to the first trial, Masterson will be tried for all three accusations of rape at his Hollywood Hills home from 2001 to 2003.
