{"id":1900,"date":"2026-10-28T00:00:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T00:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/babydollliz.com\/?p=1900"},"modified":"2026-10-28T00:00:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T00:00:21","slug":"california-appeals-court-rejects-danny-mastersons-bid-to-overturn-rape-conviction-and-30-year-sentence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/babydollliz.com\/?p=1900","title":{"rendered":"California Appeals Court Rejects Danny Masterson\u2019s Bid to Overturn Rape Conviction and 30-Year Sentence"},"content":{"rendered":"

A state appeals court has formally rejected an effort by That \u201970s Show<\/em> actor Danny Masterson to have his high-profile rape conviction and lengthy prison sentence overturned. <\/p>\n

Masterson, now 50, was found guilty by a jury in May 2023 of two counts of rape by force or fear. The convictions stemmed from separate attacks that occurred in the early 2000s at his residence in the Hollywood Hills. Following the verdict, he was handed a sentence of 30 years to life in state prison, a judgment delivered by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, a three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal officially ruled against the defense’s comprehensive arguments. Masterson\u2019s legal team had sought to reverse the conviction on nearly a dozen different grounds. Among their primary arguments were claims of an improper delay by prosecutors in bringing one of the charges and objections regarding the trial court’s decision to permit jurors to hear extensive evidence concerning the Church of Scientology.<\/p>\n

In a detailed, 89-page opinion, the appellate court justices rejected these contentions, finding that the introduction of Scientology-related evidence was entirely relevant to the proceedings. The panel noted that the testimony regarding the church was necessary for the jury to understand complex dynamics at play, including the victims’ behavior toward the defendant, their initial interactions with him, their early reports made within the church hierarchy, and their subsequent delays in reporting the crimes to outside law enforcement. Furthermore, the court stated the evidence helped contextualize the victims’ initial acceptance of Masterson’s behavior, as well as the subsequent reactions of their families and friends.<\/p>\n

The judicial panel also addressed defense claims that the trial judge exhibited bias. The defense had cited several remarks made by the trial court during proceedings, arguing they demonstrated a lack of neutrality and even hostility toward the Church of Scientology. However, the appellate panel reviewed the statements and concluded that, when viewed within their proper context, they showed no animus or departure from judicial neutrality regarding the organization.<\/p>\n

The path to Masterson’s conviction required two separate trials, as the legal battle unfolded in the public eye over several years. The case originally went before a jury in late 2022, resulting in a mistrial. During that initial proceeding, jurors had leaned heavily toward acquittal across all three counts, voting 10-2 on one count, 8-4 on a second, and 7-5 on the third. Despite significant deliberation, the panel was ultimately unable to reach a unanimous decision, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial on November 30, 2022.<\/p>\n

A retrial followed, bringing new scrutiny to the allegations brought by three women who had each known Masterson through their shared association with the Church of Scientology. During the closing arguments of the retrial, Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller laid out the prosecution’s case to the jury, stating that the defendant had drugged and raped each of the victims. Mueller urged the jury to hold Masterson accountable and pointed across the courtroom at the actor, telling the panel that they had an opportunity to demonstrate that justice truly exists.<\/p>\n

\"Danny<\/figure>\n

Conversely, Masterson\u2019s trial defense attorney, Philip Kent Cohen, strongly urged jurors to acquit his client. Cohen questioned the credibility of the accusers and raised concerns about the extensive focus on the Church of Scientology during the trial, asking jurors to consider whether there were fundamental flaws in the government’s case. While clarifying that he was not alleging a grand conspiracy against the actor, Cohen pointed out that the alleged victims had spoken with one another despite warnings from an LAPD detective, and argued that their accounts had evolved over time. The defense also emphasized that the prosecution presented no forensic evidence to substantiate claims that the victims’ drinks had been drugged.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the jury in the retrial convicted Masterson on two counts of rape involving two different women. However, the panel deadlocked on a third rape charge involving a former longtime girlfriend of the actor. Following the jury’s inability to reach a verdict on that specific count, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office decided against pursuing a third trial on the charge, resulting in its formal dismissal. <\/p>\n

Victim said world is \u2018safer\u2019 with Masterson locked up<\/h2>\n

At Masterson\u2019s sentencing hearing in September 2023, Judge Olmedo addressed the actor directly, acknowledging his continued assertions of innocence while firmly rebuking his actions. <\/p>\n

"Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here," the judge told him during the hearing, noting that his criminal actions had effectively stripped his victims of their voice and choice. The judge highlighted that each of the women had reported the attacks to someone shortly after they occurred. Characterizing his behavior as deeply criminal, the judge subsequently ordered Masterson to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life upon his eventual release from custody.<\/p>\n

The emotional weight of the case was underscored by statements delivered by the victims in the courtroom. One of the women, identified in court documents as Jane Doe 2, spoke directly to the actor, expressing her belief that he had lived a double life. <\/p>\n

"You relish in hurting women," Jane Doe 2 told Masterson. "You lived your life behind a mask as two people. But the real one sits here."<\/p>\n

She added that she believed the world was a safer place with Masterson behind bars, suggesting that it had likely never occurred to him that he would eventually be held accountable for his actions. Concluding her statement, she told the actor that she forgave him, declaring that his "sickness" was no longer a burden she had to carry.<\/p>\n

Another accuser, identified as Jane Doe 1, shared her regret regarding the timing of her report to law enforcement. She told the judge that she wished she had reported him to the Los Angeles Police Department much sooner, reiterating her conviction that he belonged behind bars.<\/p>\n

\"Danny<\/figure>\n

A statement written by Masterson’s former girlfriend\u2014the third accuser\u2014was read into the record by Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson. In the statement, the woman described entering the relationship as an extremely naive and trusting 18-year-old, detailing the profound impact the experience had on her life.<\/p>\n

During the sentencing proceedings, the judge declined a request from prosecutors to permit three additional women, including two who had testified about alleged uncharged conduct, to deliver statements to the court.<\/p>\n

Danny Masterson\u2019s first trial ended in hung jury<\/h2>\n

The fallout from the allegations extended beyond the courtroom, heavily impacting Masterson’s professional career in the entertainment industry. In December 2017, streaming giant Netflix announced that Masterson had been fired from its Emmy-winning scripted comedy series The Ranch<\/em> as the sexual assault allegations against him mounted publicly.<\/p>\n

At the time of his firing, Masterson released a public statement expressing deep disappointment, asserting that individuals seemed to be presumed guilty the moment an accusation was made. He vehemently denied what he termed "outrageous allegations" and stated that he looked forward to clearing his name once and for all. <\/p>\n

Following the appeals court’s recent ruling upholding his conviction, Masterson’s defense team signaled that the legal battle is far from over. In a statement provided outside the court after the sentencing, defense attorney Shawn Holley indicated that a specialized team of appellate lawyers had been reviewing the trial transcripts in depth. Holley stated that the legal team had identified numerous significant evidentiary and constitutional issues, which they intend to present in upcoming briefs to both state and federal appellate courts.<\/p>\n

"Mr. Masterson did not commit the crimes for which he has been convicted and we and the appellate lawyers, the best and the brightest in the country, are confident that these convictions will be overturned," Holley said.<\/p>\n

The Church of Scientology has also previously addressed aspects of the case, issuing statements that pushed back against characterizations of its institutional policies regarding criminal allegations. The organization maintained that it does not have any policies prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct\u2014whether committed by Scientologists or others\u2014to law enforcement authorities. Instead, the church stated that its guidelines explicitly require members to abide by all local and national laws, dismissing contrary allegations as entirely false.<\/p>\n

According to institutional records maintained by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Masterson is currently serving his sentence at the California Men’s Colony located in San Luis Obispo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A state appeals court has formally rejected an effort by That \u201970s Show actor Danny Masterson to have his high-profile rape conviction and lengthy prison sentence overturned. Masterson, now 50, was found guilty by a jury in May 2023 of two counts of rape by force or fear. The convictions stemmed from separate attacks that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[146],"tags":[2505,1840,157,2512,2506,2508,159,158,2509,2510,22,2511,2507,2513,106],"class_list":["post-1900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-parenting-and-gossips","tag-appeals","tag-california","tag-celebrity","tag-conviction","tag-court","tag-danny","tag-entertainment","tag-gossip","tag-masterson","tag-overturn","tag-parenting","tag-rape","tag-rejects","tag-sentence","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/babydollliz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/babydollliz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/babydollliz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babydollliz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babydollliz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1900"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/babydollliz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babydollliz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/babydollliz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babydollliz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/babydollliz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}