Appeals Court Rules: Masterson Keeps 30-Year Sentence
A panel of judges unanimously rejected the actor's arguments, including claims of bias against Scientology, leaving his prison term unchanged.
By Jessica Abebe ·
Danny Masterson will remain in prison for at least another 26 years after the California Second District Court of Appeal denied his bid to overturn his 2023 rape convictions on Tuesday. The 50-year-old actor, best known for his role on That '70s Show, is currently serving a 30-year-to-life sentence for two counts of rape committed in 2003.
The three-judge panel issued an 89-page ruling that rejected all of the actor's legal arguments. The decision affirmed that the lower court did not make errors warranting a new trial. The appellate court specifically addressed Masterson's claim that the trial judge held a bias against the Church of Scientology, of which he is a member.
During the original 2023 trial, Masterson's two accusers testified that they were also members of Scientology at the time. They stated that church officials told them they had not been raped and warned them against going to law enforcement to report a member of such high standing. The 2023 conviction came after a 2022 retrial, which followed a deadlocked jury in the first trial. A third count involving a 2001 allegation resulted in a hung jury in 2023 and remains unresolved.
Masterson's appellate attorneys argued that he was denied his First Amendment right of free exercise of religion. They claimed the trial judge made statements lacking neutrality and showing hostility toward the church. The appeals court disagreed, writing that those statements, viewed in context, showed no animus or departure from neutrality. The court noted that the jury was not asked to determine the truth or falsity of Scientology doctrine, so admitting evidence on the religion did not violate the First Amendment.
The panel also dismissed arguments regarding the statute of limitations and evidentiary rulings. The court denied a separate habeas corpus petition in which Masterson argued he did not receive an adequate defense. The ruling leaves his current prison status in effect immediately.
Masterson's representatives did not respond to CBC News outreach for comment before publication. However, his appellate attorneys, Cliff Gardner and Eric Multhaup, told Variety that they plan to appeal the decision to the California Supreme Court. They also intend to pursue a separate petition to further challenge the conviction.
