Judge denies bail for Danny Masterson, citing flight risk

Danny Masterson has been denied bail as there are concerns that the actor might attempt to flee. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo stated on Wednesday that Masterson is expected to stay in custody for an extended period, possibly the remainder of his life, if his conviction and sentence are upheld on appeal, according to an order obtained by Deadline.
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Quoting the order, Olmedo pointed to Masterson’s ongoing divorce from Bijou Phillips as a contributing factor in the court’s ruling.
“In light of the fact that defendant has no wife to go home to, defendant now has every incentive to flee” and so Masterson would have minimal motivation to return to state prison for the completion of his extensive sentence if his appeal proves unsuccessful, Olmedo elaborated.
Olmedo’s decision to reject bail for the actor follows a morning hearing at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Downtown Los Angeles, focusing on Masterson’s potential appeal.
As reported by Deadline, Masterson’s newly appointed lawyers, Clifford Gardner and Eric Multhaup, submitted a motion on January 17, urging the court to grant bail during the appeal process and expressing their willingness to adhere to any pertinent terms and conditions set by the court.
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In May 2023, Masterson was convicted on two counts of rape, following charges filed in 2020 for forcibly raping three women in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. After more than seven days of jury deliberation, a hung jury was declared on a third count of rape.
Several months following his September conviction, Masterson received a 30-year to life prison sentence for his crimes. Subsequently, in the same month, his wife, Bijou Phillips, initiated divorce proceedings, attributing irreconcilable differences as the grounds for their separation after nearly 12 years of marriage.