I continue to hear that “Judge (Aaron) Persky was just following the probation officer’s recommendation, and acted lawfully” when he gave former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner a slap-on-the-wrist six month sentence, of which he only served three, for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster in January, 2015. This is only part of the story, however.
Yes, Persky followed the probation department’s recommendation, but he ignored the prosecutor’s recommendation of 6 years in prison. Also, he ignored the pleas of the victim who, as we all read in her heart-breaking victim impact statement, told Persky that she was “consumed by anger which eventually quieted down to profound sadness” when she read the probation report.
Further, this argument assumes Persky’s recall is solely about Turner, and ignores other disturbing decisions Persky has made that went against the probation officer’s recommendation. As one example, Persky gave Robert Chain a four-day sentence for felony possession of child pornography and, against the probation department’s recommendation, Persky offered to reduce Chain’s felony conviction to a misdemeanor after only one year of probation. Enough is enough. Please, recall Judge Aaron Persky with me this June.
Kate Lehr Evard
Los Altos
