LOS ANGELES — A California appeals court on Tuesday upheld actor Danny Masterson’s convictions and 30-years-to-life prison sentence for raping two women at his home in 2003, The Associated Press reported.
In an 89-page ruling, a three-judge panel unanimously found that the “That ’70s Show” actor failed to show errors by the lower court that would warrant a new trial. The panel also rejected his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel.
The court rejected arguments that the convictions violated the statute of limitations, that the trial court wrongly excluded evidence and that it showed bias against his religion, according to the AP.
Masterson’s first trial ended with a deadlocked jury in 2022. He was convicted at a retrial in 2023. His attorneys said they will seek review by the California Supreme Court.
Masterson, 50, is a prominent member of the Church of Scientology. His accusers, former members, said church officials discouraged them from going to police; the church has denied having any such policy.
He is serving his sentence at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo and won’t be eligible for parole for more than 20 years.
Sources: Associated Press via KTAR News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Angeline Starr / CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.
