Danny Masterson made his first appearance in a Los Angeles, Calif. courtroom on Friday, Sept. 18, three months after he was arrested on three counts of rape by force or fear.
The That 70s Show star arrived at the courthouse wearing a navy blue suit and a light colored face mask. He was joined by a large group of his supporters and his lawyer, Tom Mesereau.
In the hearing, his lawyer said that L.A. District Attorney Jackie Lacey, who is up for re-election in Nov., only filed the charges against Masterson because of immense pressure from the media. Mesereau claimed, “There have been repeated attempts to politicize this case… He is absolutely not guilty and we’re going to prove it.”
Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller described these accusations as “pure speculation, with no basis in fact.”
Additionally, Mesereau filed documents requesting that the criminal charges against the actor be thrown out as insufficient. The judge will decide on this request when Masterson next appears in court on Oct. 19.
