Appeals court keeps Danny Masterson's 30-year prison term

Danny Masterson lost his legal bid to overturn a rape conviction, leaving the 30-year prison sentence from his 2023 trial in place. The California court of appeal issued the final ruling on Tuesday, ending the immediate appellate process for the actor best known for his role on That '70s Show.

The legal dispute stems from a 2023 verdict in Los Angeles Superior Court, where Masterson was found guilty on two counts of rape involving incidents from 2003. A third charge related to a 2001 allegation was dropped. Masterson has consistently maintained that the encounters with all three women were consensual. He filed his initial appeal in December, challenging the fairness of the original trial.

His lawyers argued that Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo held a bias against the Church of Scientology, which affected the outcome. They also questioned the credibility of the plaintiffs and raised issues regarding the statute of limitations. The appeals panel, in an 89-page decision, reviewed these claims and found no evidence that Olmedo displayed animus toward the religion or deviated from neutrality during the proceedings.

The trial prosecutors contended that Masterson, a prominent member of the church, used his status to avoid accountability. They noted that all three accusers were Scientologists at the time of the alleged assaults. The women testified that they delayed reporting the incidents because they feared violating church rules against going to the police.

Two of the accusers described being subjected to ethics programs after reporting Masterson to church officials. They said these sessions resembled repeated interrogations and included warnings against contacting law enforcement. One woman stated she was shunned for reporting the matter. The court allowed Claire Headley, a former Scientologist, to testify as an expert on these practices.

Headley explained that Scientology views going to law enforcement as a suppressive act that can lead to excommunication. Masterson's attorneys argued this evidence improperly intruded on church doctrine. The appeals panel disagreed, stating the jury did not need to determine the truth of religious beliefs. They concluded that admitting this evidence did not violate the First Amendment.

Attorneys Cliff Gardner and Eric Multhaup called the outcome an unfortunate decision. They told Variety that they intend to appeal the case to the California supreme court. Following the 2023 verdict, the Church of Scientology stated that the descriptions of its beliefs given at trial were uniformly false. The church maintained it has no policy discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct to police.