Actor Danny Masterson's Rape Convictions and Prison Sentence Under Fire Over Allegations of Lawyer Errors
In a stunning move, actor Danny Masterson has filed a petition to have his two rape convictions and long prison sentence overturned, citing lawyer errors that he believes deprived him of a fair trial. The petition, filed with California's 2nd District Court of Appeal, argues that Masterson's trial lawyer, Philip Cohen, failed to call key witnesses and introduce essential evidence that could have exonerated him.
Masterson, who is serving a 30-year-to-life sentence for raping two women at his Los Angeles home in 2003, claims that Cohen did not represent him properly during his 2023 retrial. The petition alleges that Cohen spoke to only two of the 20 potential witnesses brought to his attention by Masterson's co-counsel and investigator, including some who could have testified that the women had spoken favorably of their relationships with Masterson.
The court filing also claims that Cohen failed to present "mountain" amounts of exculpatory evidence amassed by Masterson's pre-trial attorney, Shawn Holley. The result, according to the petition, was a clear violation of Masterson's constitutional rights.
Masterson's lawyer, Eric Multhaup, claimed that the trial was marred by prosecutorial misconduct, judicial bias, and defense counsel failure to present evidence. "The unfairness of the second Masterson trial was the result of prosecutorial misconduct, judicial bias, and the failure of defense counsel to present exculpatory evidence," Multhaup stated.
The petition also targets Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo, who allowed the prosecution to negatively cast the Church of Scientology as a force of intimidation during the trial. It alleges that Cohen did not present available evidence to counter this portrayal.
Masterson's new motion is separate from his main appeal to the same court, which is pending. He will serve his sentence at the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo and will not be eligible for parole for over 20 years.
The actor's case has sparked controversy due to his membership in the Church of Scientology. The women who accused him of rape are former members of the church, and their testimonies were critical of the organization's practices during the trial.
In a stunning move, actor Danny Masterson has filed a petition to have his two rape convictions and long prison sentence overturned, citing lawyer errors that he believes deprived him of a fair trial. The petition, filed with California's 2nd District Court of Appeal, argues that Masterson's trial lawyer, Philip Cohen, failed to call key witnesses and introduce essential evidence that could have exonerated him.
Masterson, who is serving a 30-year-to-life sentence for raping two women at his Los Angeles home in 2003, claims that Cohen did not represent him properly during his 2023 retrial. The petition alleges that Cohen spoke to only two of the 20 potential witnesses brought to his attention by Masterson's co-counsel and investigator, including some who could have testified that the women had spoken favorably of their relationships with Masterson.
The court filing also claims that Cohen failed to present "mountain" amounts of exculpatory evidence amassed by Masterson's pre-trial attorney, Shawn Holley. The result, according to the petition, was a clear violation of Masterson's constitutional rights.
Masterson's lawyer, Eric Multhaup, claimed that the trial was marred by prosecutorial misconduct, judicial bias, and defense counsel failure to present evidence. "The unfairness of the second Masterson trial was the result of prosecutorial misconduct, judicial bias, and the failure of defense counsel to present exculpatory evidence," Multhaup stated.
The petition also targets Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo, who allowed the prosecution to negatively cast the Church of Scientology as a force of intimidation during the trial. It alleges that Cohen did not present available evidence to counter this portrayal.
Masterson's new motion is separate from his main appeal to the same court, which is pending. He will serve his sentence at the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo and will not be eligible for parole for over 20 years.
The actor's case has sparked controversy due to his membership in the Church of Scientology. The women who accused him of rape are former members of the church, and their testimonies were critical of the organization's practices during the trial.
this whole thing just seems fishy to me... like masterson knew he was guilty all along but needed a fancy lawyer to help him roll with it 
and then his lawyer screws up and now he's getting out free? 
something doesn't add up... i mean, why did the prosecution go after church of scientology so hard if masterson wasn't even a part of it anymore? 
was this just a way to discredit him? 
and what about all those witnesses who could have testified that the women were cool with their relationships with masterson... did they get silenced or somethin'? 