Danny Masterson appeals rape conviction due to ‘errors’ which compromised trial
Danny Masterson’s legal team filed an appeal Wednesday to the disgraced actor’s 2023 rape conviction, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
The defense requested that convictions be overturned due to numerous procedural and substantive errors that compromised the fairness and reliability of the trial, per the documents.
The “That 70s Show” actor was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison last year, the maximum allowed by law, and will be eligible for parole after serving more than 25 years.
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Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison in September 2023 on two counts of forcible rape. (Wade Payne)
“The Appellant’s Opening Brief submitted on December 18, 2024, demonstrates two fundamental flaws in Danny Masterson’s convictions: (1) the trial was rife with erroneous judicial rulings that skewed the jury’s view of the evidence against him and (2) there was a stunning amount of exculpatory evidence which was never presented to the jury,” Masterson’s lawyer, Cliff Gardner, shared in a statement.
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“But the appeal represents only one part of Danny’s challenge to his convictions. Danny’s habeas lawyer will be following up on the opening brief with a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus documenting additional defects in the trial process. Stay tuned as we work toward Danny’s complete exoneration.”
Masterson has been incarcerated at a medium-security prison in San Luis Obispo, Calif. He was transferred to the California Men’s Colony (CMC) on Feb. 16 after serving time at California State Prison, Corcoran – the maximum-security prison which once housed cult leader Charles Manson.
Danny Masterson was transferred to a medium-security facility in February. (CA Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation/ Getty Images)
“The Ranch” star only served a few weeks at Corcoran after being sentenced to 30 years to life on two counts of forcible rape. He was initially transferred from the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles to North Kern State Prison.
Masterson was found guilty on two counts of forcible rape in May 2023, and a jury was hung on a third charge during the trial after the seven men and five women deliberated for eight days.
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Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo sentenced Masterson to 15 years to life on each count, and ordered the sentences to be served consecutively.
Masterson initially faced up to 45 years in prison if found guilty on three counts of rape by force or fear for alleged sexual assaults that occurred between 2001 and 2003 at his Hollywood Hills home.
He was arrested in June 2020 and was free on $3.3 million bond. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and has maintained his innocence.
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