Brock Turner, a former Stanford athlete convicted of sexual assault, was released from jail Friday after staying behind bars for three months. Turner served half of his original six-month sentence due to good behavior and began serving his three years of parole on Friday.
Turner’s sentence, widely considered as too lenient, has sparked outrage across the country. It has inspired popular recall campaigns to remove the judge in charge of this case, Aaron Persky. According to the San Jose Mercury News, these campaigns have become so popular that Persky, who has also voluntarily removed himself from hearing criminal cases, has launched an anti-recall campaign in order to retain his position as judge.
Stanford law professor Michele Dauber led a rally at the Hall of Justice in San Jose coinciding with the date of Turner’s release, joining the mayor of Palo Alto and other local politicians in calling for Judge Persky’s removal.
Also in response to Turner’s case, the California legislature recently passed a bill that would, according to the Los Angeles Times, require minimum prison sentences for sexual assault cases like Brock Turner’s. The bill is awaiting California Governor Jerry Brown’s approval and signature.
Contact Christina Pan at capan ‘at’ stanford.edu.