Defense lawyer Phillip Cohen criticizes the decision as he fears that the jury will be influenced in their judgment during the break. He has urged the judge to allow deliberations to continue directly on Monday – something she says no to.
According to Judge Charlaine Olmedo, not enough time has yet passed for the jury to be considered deadlocked. The concern that the jury will be influenced by the publicity applies to all media attention cases, says Olmedo and adds:
— It is not unusual for trials to take a break over the weekends.
The “That 70’s show” star is charged with three counts of rape, which allegedly took place between 2001 and 2003. If convicted, Masterson, who denies any wrongdoing, faces up to 45 years in prison.