Danny Masterson Loses Rape Conviction Appeal, Vows to Take Fight to State Supreme Court

Danny Masterson's appeal of his rape convictions from 2023 has been denied by a three-judge panel, upholding his 30-year prison sentence. According to the 89-page ruling, Masterson's legal team failed to present sufficient arguments for appeal. The accused is alleged to have raped three women at his Hollywood Hills home around 2003.

Initially, a retrial resulted in convictions on two counts, while the panel deadlocked on a third count. Masterson's lawyer, Cliff Gardner, scrutinized the timeline of the accusers' stories, suggesting they evolved over time and potentially tailored their accounts due to the long-expired limitations statutes that prevent them from seeking significant financial rewards.

Gardner also argued that the trial court improperly halted his argument regarding this issue. Despite the jurors' reservations about the credibility of the witnesses, this did not sway the judges. The former "That 70s Show" star's appeal also claimed that his defense attorney, Philip Cohen, failed to call witnesses who could have discredited his accusers or challenge the prosecution's claims about Scientology's role in silencing them.

The petition for habeas corpus and Masterson's arguments about the statute of limitations were also rejected by the panel.