Jun 17, 2020
Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced today that her office is formally charging actor Danny Masterson, best known for his role in the television series That 70’s Show, with three counts of rape. The charges stem from separate incidents between 2001 and 2003 when Masterson allegedly forcibly raped three women at his Hollywood Hills home.
According to the complaint Masterson, 44, is accused of raping a 23-year-old woman in 2001, raping a 28-year-old woman in April 2003, and raping a 23-year-old woman later that same year.
Masterson has been under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department since 2016, when the allegations first came to light. Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller of the Sex Crimes Division is prosecuting the case. With the multiple charges against him, Masterson reportedly faces a sentence of 45 years to life in a state prison.
Masterson was arrested at 11:30 a.m. today and is currently being held on $3.3 million bail. An arraignment in Masterson’s rape case has been set for Sept. 18, 2020.
In a public statement, a spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office stated they have “declined to file sexual assault charges against Masterson in two other cases, one for insufficient evidence and the other based upon the statute of limitations for the crime alleged.”
In August 2019 four women filed a civil lawsuit alleging Masterson stalked and harassed them after filing complaints of sexual assault to the LAPD. That civil lawsuit also named the Church of Scientology, of which Masterson is a member, as a defendant.
In California, rape survivors have the right to file a civil lawsuit seeking financial damages against their attacker (be it an individual or institution) in addition to any criminal charges that may be filed. At Dordulian Law Group, we encourage survivors to seek both criminal and civil justice when wronged. While a criminal trial can provide peace of mind and some sense of closure when an attacker receives a prison sentence, a civil settlement can help a survivor move forward on their own terms by recovering financial damages against said attacker.
To discuss your legal options, schedule an appointment with our sexual harassment lawyers today. Call our dedicated rape victim attorneys today.
Upon deciding to take the step to pursue a civil lawsuit, survivors should carefully consider a sex crime attorney’s past experience and success in similar cases before ultimately choosing representation.
At Dordulian Law Group, we believe that survivors deserve all-encompassing representation which includes an expert litigator/investigator team as well as a victim advocate/clinical therapist support network.
DLG’s founder and president, Samuel Dordulian, a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County, established an in-house SAJE Team (Sexual Assault Justice Experts) to provide survivors of sexual assault comprehensive, four-tiered representation. Dordulian Law Group’s unique Sex Crimes Division offers all clients full access to the following SAJE Team members:
Survivors who choose Dordulian Law Group have the advantage of four-tiered representation.
Survivors who wish to pursue a civil lawsuit against their attacker can be confident in choosing Dordulian Law Group. We have decades of experience fighting and winning on behalf of survivors, ensuring that justice is obtained and significant financial damages are recovered.
If you are interested in discussing your case with a SAJE Team member, please do not hesitate to contact us today.
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