Court confirms Danny Masterson will serve 30 years for rape

Danny Masterson will remain in prison for at least three decades after a California appeals court rejected his final legal challenges. The ruling, issued on Tuesday, confirms the 30-years-to-life sentence imposed in 2023.

The actor, 50, faces a minimum of 30 years behind bars for two counts of rape. The Second District Court of Appeal issued an 89-page decision on Tuesday. A three-judge panel unanimously found that the trial court did not make errors severe enough to warrant a new trial.

Masterson was convicted in a 2023 retrial for assaults alleged to have occurred in 2003. His first trial in 2022 ended without a verdict due to a deadlocked jury. Jurors also failed to reach a decision on a third count involving an alleged 2001 assault during the second trial.

The defense argued that the trial judge showed hostility toward Scientology. Masterson and his accusers were all members of the church. The appellate judges disagreed with the defense claim that the judge lacked neutrality. The panel stated that the judge's comments showed no animus toward the religion when viewed in context.

The court also ruled that admitting evidence about Scientology did not violate the First Amendment. The judges noted that jurors were not asked to evaluate the truth of specific religious doctrines. The panel further rejected arguments regarding the statute of limitations and evidentiary rulings.

Masterson's attorneys, Cliff Gardner and Eric Multhaup, told Variety they plan to appeal to the California Supreme Court. They also intend to pursue a separate petition. The ruling also denied a habeas corpus petition claiming the actor did not receive adequate defense.

The appellate panel turned down every argument raised by Masterson's legal team. The decision leaves the 2023 convictions intact. Representatives for the actor had not responded to inquiries by the time of publication.