Karen#1
Well-known member
TONY ORTEGA
Excerpt:
[Masterson and his current address]
Our expert, TX Lawyer, told us that Danny Masterson’s request to combine the two ways he’s appealing his criminal conviction — with a direct appeal and a habeas corpus petition — seemed unusual. And now, the 2nd Appellate District has apparently agreed, putting out notice on the docket this weekend that this request was denied.
Masterson, the Scientology celebrity and That ‘70s Show actor, was convicted of two counts of forcible rape on May 31, 2023 and was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. He’s currently at the Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo County. His direct appeal, handled by well-known post-conviction attorney Cliff Gardner, was fully briefed through 2025, and is now awaiting the scheduling of an oral arguments hearing.
But in the meantime, Masterson also filed a habeas petition on December 1. As TX Lawyer explained to us, the difference is that the direct appeal questions what happened during Masterson’s trial, but the habeas petition brings up supposed evidence that was not introduced at trial.
They are two separate approaches, and that’s why it seemed unusual that Masterson would ask to consolidate them, especially since the direct appeal is so far along and would get slowed down to the habeas petition’s schedule, which could go on for several more years.
But the court is not interested in handling them as one case.
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tonyortega.substack.com
Excerpt:
[Masterson and his current address]
Our expert, TX Lawyer, told us that Danny Masterson’s request to combine the two ways he’s appealing his criminal conviction — with a direct appeal and a habeas corpus petition — seemed unusual. And now, the 2nd Appellate District has apparently agreed, putting out notice on the docket this weekend that this request was denied.
Masterson, the Scientology celebrity and That ‘70s Show actor, was convicted of two counts of forcible rape on May 31, 2023 and was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. He’s currently at the Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo County. His direct appeal, handled by well-known post-conviction attorney Cliff Gardner, was fully briefed through 2025, and is now awaiting the scheduling of an oral arguments hearing.
But in the meantime, Masterson also filed a habeas petition on December 1. As TX Lawyer explained to us, the difference is that the direct appeal questions what happened during Masterson’s trial, but the habeas petition brings up supposed evidence that was not introduced at trial.
They are two separate approaches, and that’s why it seemed unusual that Masterson would ask to consolidate them, especially since the direct appeal is so far along and would get slowed down to the habeas petition’s schedule, which could go on for several more years.
But the court is not interested in handling them as one case.
READ MORE
Court denies Danny Masterson's request to combine his appeal and habeas petition
Our expert, TX Lawyer, told us that Danny Masterson’s request to combine the two ways he’s appealing his criminal conviction — with a direct appeal and a habeas corpus petition — seemed unusual.
