Danny Masterson Loses Appeal of Rape Convictions and 30-Year Sentence

A California appeals court has upheld Danny Masterson’s 2023 rape convictions and 30-year prison sentence, rejecting claims that he received an unfair trial and that the judge was biased against Scientology.

In an 89-page ruling filed Tuesday, a three-judge panel rejected arguments challenging the accusers’ credibility, the statute of limitations and the admission of evidence about Scientology. The court found that Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo showed “no animus or departure from neutrality regarding Scientology.” It also ruled that testimony about the church’s beliefs and practices did not violate the First Amendment because jurors were not asked to determine whether Scientology doctrine was true or false.

Masterson, known for his role on “That ’70s Show,” was convicted of raping two women at his Hollywood Hills home in 2003. Jurors deadlocked on a charge involving a third woman. An earlier trial in 2022 ended with a hung jury on all three counts. Masterson has maintained that the encounters were consensual.

The panel also rejected Masterson’s claim that his trial lawyer provided inadequate representation, including by failing to call witnesses who could have challenged the accusers’ accounts and prosecution testimony about Scientology. It denied his related habeas corpus petition.

Masterson’s lawyers, Cliff Gardner and Eric Multhaup, called the ruling an “unfortunate decision” and said they intend to appeal to the California Supreme Court.