A California appeals court on Tuesday upheld actor Danny Masterson's convictions and long prison sentence for raping two women at his home in 2003. In an 89-page ruling, the three-judge panel unanimously found that the That '70s Show actor had failed to demonstrate that the lower court made errors that would warrant granting him a new trial, the AP reports. The panel also rejected a petition filed by Masterson that claimed ineffective assistance of counsel. His attorneys said they would seek review at the California Supreme Court.
Among the claims that the court rejected were that Masterson's convictions violated the 10-year statute of limitations for forcible rape, as the statute does not apply where there are multiple victims; that the trial court excluded evidence in his favor; and that the trial court exhibited bias against his religion.
- Masterson's first trial ended with a deadlocked jury in 2022, but at his retrial the following year, he was convicted of raping two women. He was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.
- Masterson is a prominent member of the Church of Scientology, and his accusers are former members who said they grew disillusioned with the institution after they were assaulted. They said church officials told them what had happened to them was not rape, and that its policies prevented them from going to police. The church vehemently denied having any such policy. Masterson's lawyers argued that evidence about Scientology was improperly admitted during his two trials.
- "Admission of Scientology evidence did not violate the First Amendment and was not an abuse of the trial court's discretion," the panel said, per Deadline. "The jury in this case was not asked to determine the truth or falsity of Scientology doctrine or beliefs. Admission of Scientology evidence for those purposes did not contravene the First Amendment."
- Masterson, 50, has been serving his sentence at the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo. He will not be eligible for parole until 2042.
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