Appeals Court Upholds Danny Masterson's Rape Conviction and 30-Year Sentence
Seven Lights
A California appeals court upheld Danny Masterson’s rape conviction and his sentence of 30 years to life on Tuesday, rejecting each argument the actor had raised against his 2023 verdict. A three-judge panel issued an 89-page ruling affirming the judgment.
Masterson was found guilty in spring 2023 of two counts of forcible rape for attacks on two women at his Los Angeles home in 2003 and received two consecutive sentences of 15 years to life. Jurors deadlocked on a third count involving a former girlfriend who alleged he assaulted her in 2001.
On appeal, Masterson’s attorneys contended that the trial judge, Charlaine Olmedo, was biased against Scientology, which the actor practices, and that her remarks during trial infringed his First Amendment rights. The appeals court disagreed, finding that her statements showed “no animus or departure from neutrality regarding Scientology.” During the trial Olmedo allowed a former member to testify as an expert on the church’s beliefs and practices, after prosecutors argued the women, members of the church at the time, had not reported the alleged attacks promptly.
“The jury in this case was not asked to determine the truth or falsity of Scientology doctrine or beliefs,” the panel wrote. “Admission of Scientology evidence for those purposes did not contravene the First Amendment.”
The court also rejected the argument that a 10-year statute of limitations barred the prosecution, stating the claim was “inapplicable where, as here, forcible rape offenses were committed against more than one victim.” A separate habeas corpus petition, which asserted that Masterson did not receive an adequate defense, was likewise denied. His appellate lawyers have previously faulted his trial attorney, Philip Cohen, for calling no witnesses and for not contesting the prosecution’s Scientology evidence.
The ruling leaves the sentence in place. It was not immediately clear whether Masterson’s appellate attorneys, Cliff Gardner and Eric Multhaup, would seek further review.