Dream Wired
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Celebrity
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • TV
  • Music
  • Comics
  • Shop
  • Home
  • Celebrity
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • TV
  • Music
  • Comics
  • Shop
No Result
View All Result
Dream Wired
No Result
View All Result
Home DramaAlert

Danny Masterson appeals 2023 rape convictions, aims for ‘complete exoneration’ – National

rmtsa by rmtsa
December 19, 2024
in DramaAlert
0
Danny Masterson appeals 2023 rape convictions, aims for ‘complete exoneration’ – National
74
SHARES
1.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


You might also like

NeNe Leakes Talks Reconciling With Porsha, Bravo

DDG Files Emergency Motion Over Italy Trip • Hollywood Unlocked

Reggie Bush Slams NFL’s Turf Fields, ‘All Players Hate It!’

Former That ’70s Show actor Danny Masterson, through his lawyers, has appealed his 2023 rape convictions.

In September of 2023, Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women, both former members of the Church of Scientology (Masterson is still a member of the church). The actor, 47, was found guilty of two of three counts of forcible rape during his retrial in May 2023.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. The retrial was called after 2022’s original trial on the same three counts ended in a mistrial when a jury deadlocked, failing to reach unanimous verdicts.

Now, in a 242-page appellant’s opening brief filed on Dec. 18, Masterson’s lawyers allege that key witness testimonies morphed over time and “erroneous judicial rulings” skewed the jury’s view of the evidence against him.

Story continues below advertisement


Click to play video: '‘That ’70s Show’ actor Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years in prison'

4:30
‘That ’70s Show’ actor Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years in prison


In a statement posted to the Cliff Gardner law offices website, the lawyers said there were “two fundamental flaws” in Masterson’s convictions, one being the aforementioned skewed view and the second a “stunning amount” of alleged exculpatory evidence “never presented to the jury.”

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

His legal team goes on to say that these are only “one part” of their planned challenge to his convictions, and they are working towards Masterson’s “complete exoneration.”

Masterson originally filed a notice of appeal in November 2023. In January, the judge in his criminal case, Charlaine Olmedo, denied him bail pending his appeal, calling him a flight risk.

In June of 2023, Olmedo ruled Masterson’s ex-defence lawyers, Tom Mesereau and Sharon Appelbaum, leaked sensitive trial information to the Church of Scientology about the women who accused Masterson of rape, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Story continues below advertisement

The confidential discovery material from Masterson’s rape trial was sent to another Church of Scientology lawyer, Vicki Podberesky, and it contained police reports from the victims and their personal information, including home addresses and banking details.

The leak to Podberesky was exposed during Masterson’s retrial, when Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller said he received an email from Podberesky — who was not affiliated with the trial — that included an attachment of 570 pages of discovery material. It is unclear if the attachment was sent by accident.


Click to play video: 'Danny Masterson controversy: Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis issue public apology after letters to judge emerged'

0:58
Danny Masterson controversy: Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis issue public apology after letters to judge emerged


Trending Now

Trump upends U.S. government spending deal days before shutdown deadline

Ottawa moving ahead on automatic tax filing. Here’s what to know

Podberesky tried to claim prosecutors were soliciting false testimony from victims in order to wrongfully convict Masterson of rape. Olmedo said the allegation was “demonstrably false.”

The Church of Scientology has denied all accusations of wrongdoing and was not a party in Masterson’s trial. Podberesky told the Los Angeles Times she legally obtained the confidential trial documents but did not say how.

Story continues below advertisement

Mesereau and Applebaum represented Masterson in court until May 2022, when they were replaced by other Scientology-affiliated lawyers.

Masterson’s lawyers had also been accused by Mueller of unwanted contact with the jurors in his case. In September of 2023, Olmedo sent a letter to both legal teams stating that several jurors complained of “unwanted contact at their homes or work by members of the defense team,” according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Mueller and his team tried to paint Masterson as a serial rapist who has been protected by high-ranking officials in the Church of Scientology. They claimed Masterson, on separate occasions, put drugs into the drinks of a longtime girlfriend and two other women he knew through the church before he raped them.

After the retrial’s guilty verdict was announced, a shocked Masterson was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs and he remains in state custody.

Bijou Phillips, his wife of 12 years, filed for divorce from the actor in September of last year.

More on Entertainment
More videos

&copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.



Source link

Tags: AimsAppealsCOMPLETEConvictionsDannyExonerationMastersonNationalrape
Share30Tweet19
rmtsa

rmtsa

Recommended For You

NeNe Leakes Talks Reconciling With Porsha, Bravo

by rmtsa
June 5, 2025
0
NeNe Leakes Talks Reconciling With Porsha, Bravo

NeNe Leakes “SAID WHAT SHE SAID” when it comes to Porsha Williams and Bravo, telling BOSSIP that she’s open to reconciling with the housewife after already making amends...

Read more

DDG Files Emergency Motion Over Italy Trip • Hollywood Unlocked

by rmtsa
June 4, 2025
0
DDG Files Emergency Motion Over Italy Trip • Hollywood Unlocked

DDG Files Emergency Motion Over Italy Trip — Says Halle Bailey Poses “Emotional and Psychological Risk” DDG and Halle Bailey’s legal battle over their son Halo just took...

Read more

Reggie Bush Slams NFL’s Turf Fields, ‘All Players Hate It!’

by rmtsa
June 4, 2025
0
Reggie Bush Slams NFL’s Turf Fields, ‘All Players Hate It!’

Reggie Bush Message to NFL ... STOP USING TURF!!! Published June 4, 2025 10:45 AM PDT Reggie Bush is begging the NFL to go au naturel ... saying...

Read more

JoJo Siwa’s Ex Kath Ebbs Opens Up About Star’s New Relationship With Chris Hughes

by rmtsa
June 4, 2025
0
JoJo Siwa’s Ex Kath Ebbs Opens Up About Star’s New Relationship With Chris Hughes

Meanwhile, Chris Hughes reveals his and JoJo's fan given celebrity couple name. Moving on after being dumped is hard ... Moving on after being dumped when your partner...

Read more

LightBulb Film Distribution Picks Up Trio Of Sundance Movies

by rmtsa
June 4, 2025
0
LightBulb Film Distribution Picks Up Trio Of Sundance Movies

EXCLUSIVE: UK outfit Lightbulb Film Distribution has picked up three Sundance movies out of the Cannes market. From Paris-based WTFilms, the company has acquired Touch Me (pictured above),...

Read more
Next Post
Life with Louie Is Still Larger Than Life 30 Years Later

Life with Louie Is Still Larger Than Life 30 Years Later

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Browse by Category

  • Celebrity
  • Comics
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • Music
  • TV
  • Uncategorized

CATEGORIES

  • Celebrity
  • Comics
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • Music
  • TV
  • Uncategorized
No Result
View All Result

Recent News

  • ‘Jeopardy Masters’ Winner — [Spoiler] Wins Season 3 Finale
  • Cartoon: Well excuuuse me
  • WICKED FOR GOOD Trailer is a Spellbinding Glimpse Into Oz’s Darkest Hour — GeekTyrant

Copyright © 2023 DramaWired.
DramaWired is a content aggregator and not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Celebrity
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • TV
  • Music
  • Comics
  • Shop

Copyright © 2023 DramaWired.
DramaWired is a content aggregator and not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In