re: Danny Masterson Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison After Rape Convictions

Danny is a victim of religious persecution /troll

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Is Bijou the bat shite crazy one?

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I’d probably have to find out.

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Has this cover up been going on this whole time? I haven't kept up with this story.

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The Church of Scientology doesn’t believe in rape. The Scientology specialist testified that they purposefully instruct members who believe to be raped that they weren’t and they’re put through an “ethics program”.

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he's lived for 20 years being a normal and good citizen

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Everything that I've read about him is that he's an absolute garbage human.

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your actions 20 years ago were criminal


This should not be allowed.

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If it were your daughter that was raped 20 years ago, you'd be thrilled. Not saying it definitely happened or it definitely didn't happen. I know nowhere near enough about this to cast judgement one way or another but I have a daughter and if something were to ever happen to her, I'd want justice served no matter how long after.

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This should not be allowed.

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You think there should be a statute of limitations on drugging and forcibly raping women? Not to mention doing so multiple times.

Yeah, if I steal a 6 pack of beer in 2003 from a gas station and they just found the security footage they probably should let me go. But not if I serially drugged and raped women.

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Everything that I've read about him is that he's an absolute garbage human.

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i could care less if he's likeable or not. He's not going around being a criminal is he ( and i dont even know the answer to this question, i'm just ASSuming)? Being an arse isnt' a crime.

I think it's highly likely he did rape them, and he should go to jail. 30 years just seems unbelievable to me in this situation.

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what evidence was presented at trial?

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The evidence was almost entirely testimonial. Given the time lapse between the dates the incidents are alleged to have occurred and the first trial (Nov. 2022) there was basically no physical evidence to bolster the claims. Jurors deadlocked in the first trial, which was ultimately declared a mistrial. The jury vote had to be unanimous to convict, and I think when jurors were polled after less than 1/2 felt he was guilty.

A retrial/second trial was then had in April. It appears the biggest difference between the two trials was the judge allowed prosecutors in the second trial to make direct arguments/statements that Masterson drugged the women before raping them. The women had alleged that in the first trial, but because there was no physical evidence (such as a toxicology report) beyond just the women's testimony, prosecutors were not allowed to directly argue in the first trial the women were drugged.

The second big difference is that the judge allowed expert testimony regarding Scientology to be introduced in the second trial. (At least) two of the women had claimed the church of Scientology acted to suppress their allegations and investigations thereof closer to the time when the incidents allegedly happened. It appears those aspects of testimony swayed the jury the other way in the second trial (at least with respect to 2 of the 3 women).

My initial thought is the rape is a heinous crime second only to murder. I can't imagine the hurt a woman feels and lives with for the remainder of her life after such a violation of her humanity.

However, it seems like we have to juxtapose that with a me too culture that now demands society to "believe all women". That mindset is the COMPLETE antithesis to our criminal justice system which mandates the accused is innocent unless proven guilty. A cry to "believe all women" based upon nothing more than an initial allegation seems to potentially create very dangerous societal climate. One where the accused is seemingly forced to overcome a societal mindset that all women should be believed without question, rather than the cornerstone of our justice system where the state has the burden to prove the accused is guilty.

One could also argue the "me too" movement has created a cultural climate where it is almost seen as virtuous to be a "victim". While certainly that has probably led to a lot of long time scumbags/criminals finally getting a just punishment for their actions, it's hard to argue it hasn't also led to a lot of women using such allegations as a "sword" to attack men they feel have wronged them. For example, what may have been completely consensual sex 15 years ago may now be viewed in hindsight as "rape" through the perspective of a scorned ex. And when such allegations are made 15, 20, 25 years after the alleged event, the only evidence often lest is the testimony of the parties involved. It's not like murder, or other physical crimes which are investigated soon after the event and physical evidence is quickly gathered. Here you have situations where people (generally always men) may face decades in prison almost SOLELY based upon if the jury likes the accuser. It is a very, very scary prospect to think a scorned lover or someone with a grudge can completely and totally unexpectedly destroy your life 20 years after one sexual encounter that seemed to be consensual at the time.

If the "me too" climate has caused women to be less fearful and ashamed of reporting they were raped immediately after it occurs, that is a good thing. But destroying lives based upon alleged decades old acts with scant evidence outside of mere allegations should be a very big concern as well.

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You’re greatly underestimating the cult-like influence on its members in Scientology.

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If you're susceptible to the mind control tactics of a pop psychology masquerading as religion then you're also going to be susceptible to the pressures of an anti-cult cult trying to tear them down, at least under a reasonable doubt standard. Chicken <-> egg.

The fact that she was in a cult should work against her, not for her.

If the Manson "family" happened today they would be living like kings with their own reality show and press tour about how they were the "real" victims here.

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think there should be a statute of limitations on drugging and forcibly raping women

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Probably. Physical evidence, witness testimony, memory, and evidence of alibis gets murky over time and can potentially prejudice a defendant. Allegations from so long ago can be more believable even where the allegations lack specificity. Whereas, an accuser that is unable to provide specificity for recent events lacks credibility. It makes a defense of the allegations much more difficult to allow so much time to pass and evidence to disappear.