Danny Masterson, who is best known for his role as Steven Hyde on That 70’s Show, is being placed in ‘administrative segregation’ while he awaits sentencing for two counts of forcible rape. Administrative segregation means Masterson won’t be locked up with the general population for his own personal safety.
Masterson is currently being held at L.A. County Men’s Central Jail after being found guilty of raping two women – there was a third victim, but the jury failed to reach a verdict (they were deadlocked 8-4 in favor of conviction, but couldn’t come to a unanimous decision). He’s now facing 30 years to life in prison.
According to multiple reports, Masterson will be staying in the same unit as several other high-profile inmates in year’s past – including Suge Knight, who was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in 2018, and O.J. Simpson, who was acquitted of killing his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend in 1995.
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Some of the other high-profile inmates to spend time in the ‘7000’ unit of the Men’s Central Jail in LA include Christian Brando in 1990, Todd Bridges on numerous occasions, Charles Keating in 1990, Richard Ramirez in 1985, and Erik Menendez – who was the next-cell neighbor of O.J. Simpson.
As for Danny Masterson, he’ll spend a majority of his time in protective custody. While he won’t have access to a television or phone in his cell, he will have access to books from the jail’s library. He’ll also be released from his cell for two hours per day, where he can watch TV and use the phone in the day room.
Masterson will get to shower every other day, with the only exception being court dates – at which point, he can shower every day to look appropriate for court. The 47-year-old will also be given three hours of recreation every week. He’s currently scheduled to return to court on August 4, 2023, for his sentencing.
The guilty verdict came on May 31, just a few days before being placed in administrative segregation and a week after jury deliberations began following his retrial. His wife, Bijou Phillips, was seen weeping as he exited the courtroom on Wednesday – while several of his close friends looked shocked at the verdict.
Why Did Danny Masterson Have a Retrial?
Danny Masterson was arrested in June 2020 and charged with three counts of forcible rape for incidents that occurred between 2001 and 2003 – a 23-year-old woman in 2001 and two more women in 2003 (a 28-year-old and a 23-year-old). His trial was set for August 29, 2022, and then changed to October 11.
The initial trial lasted a little over a month with both sides resting their cases on November 14, 2022. After several weeks of deliberations (which were interrupted by Thanksgiving), the jury remained deadlocked, and a mistrial was declared. It was reported that the jury was leaning towards acquitting him on all counts.
Roughly five months after declaring a mistrial, Danny Masterson was back in court for a retrial – which began on April 24 and came to a conclusion on May 17. Jury deliberations lasted about two weeks and, while the jury came to a conclusion on two of the counts, they failed to agree on the third count.
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Many experts believe Masterson will be sentenced to between 10-15 years in prison, given his lack of criminal history – keep in mind, he’s facing 30 years to life in prison for the two counts of forcible rape. And we can now confirm that he’ll be spending the next few months in administrative segregation.