Danny Masterson appeals conviction after life sentence

Danny Masterson has appealed his rape convictions after being handed a life sentence.

The actor's lawyer claimed there were two "fundamental flaws" in his conviction and submitted a 246-page document supporting his argument that Masterson's two 2023 rape convictions should be overturned.

"It is true, of course, that a defendant is not entitled to a perfect trial," the retrial submission argued. "He is, however, still entitled to a fair one."

California attorney, Cliff Gardner, acting for Masterson, also claimed the former That '70s Show actor's trial was distorted by errors that created bias against his client.

"The trial was rife with erroneous judicial rulings that skewed the jury's view of the evidence against him," he wrote in a statement published on his own website.

He also alleged evidence that should have cleared Masterson's name was not shown in court.

"There was a stunning amount of exculpatory evidence which was never presented to the jury," Gardner added.

Masterson, 48, was originally accused of raping three different women in 2003. After a jury deadlock led to a mistrial, the subsequent retrial resulted in a second deadlock over one of the accusations and he was eventually convicted of two counts of rape.

In his statement, Gardner expressed confidence the appeal would be successful, advising readers to, "Stay tuned as we work toward Danny's complete exoneration".