Danny Masterson appeals rape conviction after 30 years in prison
Danny Masterson.
John Shearer/Getty ImagesDanny Masterson has appealed his rape conviction after being sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.
Masterson’s lawyer, Cliff Gardnershared one Opening letter of 246 pages on Wednesday, December 18, claiming several mistakes were made that “violated” the actor’s “right to confrontation and due process.”
Gardner also issued a statement alleging “two fundamental flaws in Danny Masterson’s convictions.”
In the first case, he claimed, “the trial was rife with erroneous judicial decisions that distorted the jury’s view of the evidence against him.” And in the second case, the attorney claimed there was “an astonishing amount of exculpatory evidence that was never presented to the jury.”
Danny Masterson made headlines in 2017 when he was first accused of sexual assault. He has since pleaded not guilty after being accused of raping three women in June 2020. Four women alleged in March 2017 that Masterson sexually assaulted them in the early 2000s. A fifth woman came forward in December 2017, claiming […]
Gardner stated that “the appeal represents only part of Danny’s challenge to his convictions. Danny’s habeas attorney will follow up the opening brief with a petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus, documenting additional deficiencies in the trial process. Stay tuned as we work toward Danny’s full exoneration.”
Four women claimed this in March 2017 Masterson, 48, sexually assaulted them early 2000s. A fifth woman came forward in December 2017, claiming he “repeatedly raped her” while she was in a relationship with the actor.
Masterson maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape in January 2021. His first trial began in the fall of 2022 and ended in a mistrial. Masterson was tried again in the spring of 2023 when he was convicted of two rapes. He was transferred in September 2023 a prison sentence of 30 years. Two months later he appealed; it was denied in January.
Prior to the conviction, Masterson was best known for his role as Steven Hyde That 70’s show from 1998 to 2006, as well as his role on Netflix The Ranch as Jameson “Rooster” Bennett from 2016 to 2018.
Bijou Phillips is looking forward to the future after parting ways with Scientology while her estranged husband, Danny Masterson, serves his 30-year prison sentence. “She left quietly [the religion],” a source exclusively reveals in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t talk to her friends and family who are still there […]
Masterson’s wife, Bijou Philipsfiled for divorce in September 2023 after 12 years of marriage. The following month, Us confirmed that Masterson agreed to give Phillips, 44, full legal and physical custody of their daughter, Fianna, 10.
In December 2023, Masterson was admitted to the prison system and began his sentence at North Kern State Prison in Delano, California. He was later transferred to the Men’s Colony in Californiaa minimum security prison in San Luis Obispo. Masterson will not be eligible for parole until July 2042, when he would be 66 years old.
