USA Swimming has given Brock Turner a lifetime ban, ending any Olympic goals he may have had, after he was convicted of three counts of sexual assault.
Advertisement
Eleven Democratic state lawmakers asked the Commission on Judicial Performance to investigate and discipline Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky, alleging he may have engaged in misconduct in sentencing Brock Turner, 20, to jail time and three years’ probation.
Turner has been the focus of controversy after he was sentenced to six months in prison on June 2 after being convicted of assault with intent to commit rape of an intoxicated-unconscious person, penetration of an intoxicated person, and penetration of an unconscious person.
The question last week was whether Judge Persky ruled in Turner’s favor due to their shared alumni status- but the question became whether Judge Persky ruled in Turner’s favor knowing the defense had presented inaccurate information. Drew and attorneys Leo Terrell and Anahita Sedaghatfar.
The recall petition seeks to allow the county’s voters to “replace him with a judge that understands sexual violence and understands violence against women”, according to Dauber.
Several prospective jurors who opposed Persky’s decision refused to serve on a jury this week in an unrelated case he’s handling.
Group co-founder Stephanie Pham called the university’s statement about its role in seeking justice for the victim “cold” and said it “lacked sympathy for the survivor in any way”. They were dismissed after reporting their complaints.
The commission meets every six to eight weeks and usually decides whether to open an investigation within 60 days of receiving a complaint, agency attorney Victoria Henley said.
USA Swimming, the US national governing body for the sport, said Turner is not a member and would not be eligible in the future given his conviction, USA Swimming spokesman Scott Leightman said in an email.
Turner will only serve three months behind bars, with his expected release date listed as September 2, according to online inmate records. He has no record of judicial discipline and previously worked as a Santa Clara County prosecutor responsible for keeping sexual predators locked up.
After an Oakwood High school graduate was found guilty of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on Stanford University’s campus, a conversation has started across the country on sexual violence.
Advertisement
“When the sentencing came out, people lost faith in the legal system”, she said. If Turner appealed his conviction, and the case went to trial again, this evidence could be used against Turner to show he misled the court about his history with alcohol and drugs.
