Danny Masterson’s legal quest to have his felony rape case dismissed by Judge Ronald S. Coen has been rejected, according to Rolling Stone.

After Masterson’s lawyers failed to persuade the court that a different magistrate, Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo, made critical errors nine months ago when she heard testimony from the actor’s three rape accusers and ruled there was enough evidence to send Masterson to trial, Judge Ronald denied the dismissal motion.

After a preliminary hearing in May, a different judge determined that Masterson should face trial on charges of raping three women at his Hollywood Hills residence between 2001 and 2003.

He was charged with three counts of criminal rape by force or terror in June 2020. Raping a 23-year-old woman in 2001, a 28-year-old woman in April 2003, and a 23-year-old woman between October and December of the same year were among the charges. All of the events were reported to have taken place at Masterson’s Hollywood Hills house.

Olmedo wrongly addressed alleged contradictions in the women’s testimony, according to defense counsel Philip Cohen, by relying on two exhibits, including a church booklet titled Introduction to Scientology Ethics.

Judge Charlaine Olmedo deemed the claimed victims’ delays in coming forward acceptable given the doctrines of the Church of Scientology, of which the actor is a longstanding devotee, when she ordered the actor to answer the allegations during a preliminary hearing last year. She said the ladies, who were also Scientology members, were hesitant to inform authorities because they were afraid of breaking church regulations and being alienated from their friends and family.

When Judge Coen suggested that Olmedo only used the exhibits to properly assess the alleged victims’ states of mind following the attacks, Cohen responded that the “only way” to do so would be to “analyze and interpret” Scientology doctrine, which would be a violation of the Constitution’s separation of church and state.

Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller of Los Angeles disagreed.

Mueller said during the Tuesday session, which Masterson did not attend, that “this has nothing to do with a secular court somehow interfering with church doctrine.” “The evidence was admitted by the defense, and for the court, it is absolutely permissible to review that evidence for the purposes of the state of mind of the witnesses and their credibility.”

Judge Coen was in agreement. “I believe [the alleged victims’] testimony is credible, and I believe it is sufficient to support the charges,” he said. “There is sufficient evidence to deny the [dismissal motion], and it’s denied.”

Masterson, 45, is still free on bail of $3.3 million. He’ll be back in court on May 31 for a pretrial motions hearing.

Two of the women, Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, had consensual intercourse with the actor, according to Sharon Applebaum, one of Masterson’s lawyers. She went on to state that the purported rape of Jane Doe 3, the third victim, never happened.

Applebaum stated, “He did not force anyone to have sex with him.”

The three ladies were also accused of conspiring against the actor, according to the defense counsel, who said they were in frequent touch with each other and ultimately sued him. Jennifer B. previously acquired money from Masterson in 2004, according to the defense counsel, and none of the women reported their claims to police soon, and all of them modified their statements over time, according to the court.

With Judge Coen’s decision, the matter will be sent to Judge Olmeda’s courthouse on August 29th, when Masterson’s trial will commence. The actor has entered a not-guilty plea.