A state appeals court panel Thursday upheld a former Hollywood studio architect’s conviction and eight-year state prison sentence for lewd acts on a minor.
The three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal noted in its ruling that the defense had raised a “plethora of arguments” challenging the grand jury indictment of Jeffrey Cooper, along with his conviction and sentence.
Cooper, now 73, was found guilty in May 2022 of three felony counts of lewd acts against a child.
The charges involved a girl who was between 12 and 13 at the time, between 2005 and 2007, at his home and who later reported what had happened to authorities.
Jurors deadlocked in favor of acquitting Cooper of charges involving a second girl.
Along with the state prison term, Cooper was ordered to register as a sex offender.
Cooper was known for his designs of movie theaters and sound studios and was a long-time member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
A top designer of movie theaters and sound studios, Cooper’s work included an Academy of Television Arts and Sciences theater, as well as more than two dozen mixing studios, according to the website of his Calabasas-based firm.
He also designed home studios for top Hollywood directors, including Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg and was the architect behind the Aish HaTorah World Center in Jerusalem.
Cooper was initially arrested by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies in June 2018. He was subsequently taken into custody again after the jury’s verdict.
The case stemmed from an investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau.
In a statement released after the defendant’s sentencing, District Attorney George Gascón said, “Mr. Cooper abused his position of trust and caused incredible harm to helpless victims. I know that nothing can undo the trauma that they have endured, but I hope the victims find peace and healing now that this criminal process is complete.”