Danny Masterson Rape Trial Jurors Report ‘Unwanted Contact’ by Lawyers

Jurors serving in the trial that ends in 2023 Danny Masterson‘s conviction In two cases of forcible rape, Masterson’s legal team reported experiencing “unwanted contact” at their homes and workplaces – and now prosecutors have requested a hearing on the matter.

In a new court file reviewed on November 13 Rolling stoneLos Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller told jurors that the assistance reported to jurors by Masterson’s legal team was “neither sought nor given at a reasonable time and place.” Mueller urged the court to hold a full hearing “to consider the imposition of sanctions, if appropriate, regarding unwelcome, harassing or other inappropriate conduct by members of the defense team.”

According to court records, a juror reached out to the court in July to ask for help. “Some of the jurors were visited at their homes by Danny Masterson’s Appeal team. We thought our information would be sealed. We don’t remember the time period of this. We are concerned,” the July 22 email obtained reads. Rolling stoneTo read.

Mueller’s request comes after Judge Charlaine Olmedo, the judge presiding over Masterson’s trial, sent a letter to all attorneys involved in the case on Sept. 17, stating that many jurors had complained about “unwelcome contact by members of the defense team at their homes or workplaces.” He said jurors wanted to know how Masterson’s representatives knew where to find them, considering their credentials were actually sealed.

“Juror complaints received by this court indicate that some jurors may have felt pressured by the defense team and were uncomfortable being approached in their homes,” Olmedo wrote in his letter. first reported by journalist Tony Ortega. Olmedo said jurors also reported that the defense team did not inform them that they “had the absolute right not to discuss the case.”

Olmedo shared with the court a recent email from Masterson, a prominent Scientologist, of another juror as evidence of contact that allegedly occurred in mid-September. Sentenced to 30 years to life imprisonment Following his conviction in May 2023. The juror, whose name has been changed, said that they were doing gardening in front of their house at around 14:00 on September 15, 2024, when a car stopped and a woman got out and approached.

“He said Mr. Masterson was a member of the habeas team and wanted to ask me questions about parking and the events that resulted in the jury being segregated in front of the courtroom,” the juror wrote to the judge. “I refused to talk to him and asked him how he got my name. He said he received the award from another jury member and said, ‘So you refuse to participate.’ I told him that I refused and would report this to the judge because jurors’ information was confidential and no contact should be made with me.

In his letter to attorneys on both sides, Olmedo said he had “issued a new order stipulating that all future communication with trial jurors and alternate jurors will occur through the court clerk.” The judge said he would hold a full hearing “when necessary” and lay the groundwork for Mueller’s request.

Masterson’s habeas attorney, Eric Multhaup, said in a filing Tuesday opposing any hearing on the unwanted contact allegation that his investigator’s interaction with the juror on Sept. 15 was “entirely consistent” with rules regarding post-trial interviews with jurors. He argued that the law “explicitly permits post-verdict contact with jurors” and said “the purpose of these contacts is to determine whether juror misconduct or other misconduct has occurred that undermines the fairness of the trial.” He said such contacts are “an integral part of the criminal justice system” and defended the visit to the juror’s home.

“The contact on September 15, 2024, was made in broad daylight on a Sunday, when the juror was working in his front yard. “It is almost impossible to imagine a more innocuous and harmless time and place for first contact,” he wrote.

Shawn Holley, one of Masterson’s trial attorneys, submitted a statement to the court on Nov. 14, saying that he had contacted and met with the jury foreman before, but that this occurred in July 2023. “The email address was easy to find online, Holley said, given the information he gave at the public hearing about his employment,” he said, adding that the juror agreed to meet him for lunch at a restaurant in Santa Monica the next day.

Holley said their conversation was “friendly, cordial and straightforward” and that the juror put him in touch with two other jurors who agreed to meet him at restaurants. He said all three jurors “indicated that I could contact them again if I had follow-up questions and/or wanted to meet again.” Holley said he was “confident” that none of the three jurors considered his contact with them “unwanted, harassing or otherwise inappropriate.” Holley said he has no further contact with other jurors.

Inside an e-mail to Los Angeles TimesHolley said he “made clear to all three jurors that they had no obligation to talk to me or meet with me.”

Masterson, 48, filed an appeal in his case on September 18, 2023. The opening briefing is expected on Friday. Infamous The 70’s Show The actor, meanwhile, remains locked up in a California prison. Attempts to reach other members of his defense were not immediately successful. Judge Olmedo has not yet ruled on prosecutors’ request for a hearing on the jury matter.

This story was updated on November 20, 2024, with a response from Masterson’s habeas attorney..