California Appeals Court Upholds Danny Masterson's Rape Convictions and 30-Year Sentence

A California appeals court on Tuesday upheld actor Danny Masterson's 2023 rape convictions and his 30-year prison sentence, rejecting his appeal. The convictions stem from the rapes of two women at his home in 2003. In an 89-page ruling, a three-judge panel unanimously turned down his arguments, including that Scientology was unfairly used against him at trial. The judges wrote that admitting Scientology evidence did not violate the First Amendment or abuse the trial court's discretion, and that jurors were not asked to decide whether Scientology beliefs were true or false. Masterson's attorneys told Deadline they plan to take the case to the California Supreme Court. Allegations against the "That '70s Show" star surfaced publicly in 2017 during investigations into the Church of Scientology. His accusers were involved with the church and said it worked to suppress their stories. He was arrested in 2020, his first trial in 2022 ended in a mistrial, and he was sentenced in 2023. He is ineligible for parole until 2042.

Rolling Stone, the left-leaning outlet, leads with the loss of the appeal and puts the defense's pledge to go to the state Supreme Court in its headline. The Washington Times, on the right, leads with the upheld 30-year sentence and the denial of the appeal, and its excerpt gives no mention of Scientology or further appeal plans. Both agree on the date, the 2023 conviction and the 30-year term. The alternative sources differ most: AP and The A.V. Club supply the unanimous panel, the ruling's length, the First Amendment reasoning and the 2042 parole date.