A judge has granted motions by attorneys representing two girls who allege they were sexually abused by an imprisoned former Hollywood studio architect to obtain the defendant’s deposition in prison and to thwart a stay of the case until his criminal case appeal is decided.
The Van Nuys Superior Court suit names as defendants both Jeffrey Cooper and the Calabasas Shul, which Cooper helped found in 1994. The plaintiffs are identified only as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2.
During a hearing Thursday, Judge Huey P. Cotton said a stay was not mandated and that the competing interests of both sides, including Cooper’s right against self-incrimination and the plaintiffs’ interests in avoiding delays, must be balanced. The passage of time shows there is already a danger that evidence will be or has been lost, according to the judge.
“Waiting until some undetermined time in the future for an appeal to be resolved is highly prejudicial,” the just wrote. “Considering these factors, this court concludes a stay is neither necessary nor warranted.”
The lawsuit was filed July 25, 2022, the same day Cooper was sentenced to eight years in state prison by Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Alan Schneider, who also ordered him to register as a sex offender.
Cooper, now in his early 70s, was convicted in May 2022 of three felony counts of lewd acts on a child involving Jane Doe 1, who was between 12 and 13 years old between 2005 and 2007 when she was abused at his home and later reported what had happened to authorities, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Jurors deadlocked on charges against Cooper that involved his second accuser, who was 6 years old when Cooper allegedly began grooming her.
Cooper testified in the criminal case and denied the allegations. He said there were multiple adults around at all times, including parents and the grandparents of one of the girls, who were longtime friends of the Coopers.
Officials at the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco told the girls’ lawyers that Cooper’s deposition could not take place without a court order, according to a sworn declaration by one of the attorneys who also said that the producer is first eligible for parole in November 2025.