Dear editor,
Following Brock Turner’s sentencing, legislators instituted a new mandatory minimum for his crime. Judge Persky so abused his discretion that the laws were changed to take that discretionary power away from judges.
But mandatory minimums are not the solution. In 2014, the National Academy of Sciences released a study exploring the causes of mass incarceration and concluded that mandatory minimums are one of its central drivers.
Neither the Recall Persky Campaign nor any members of its leadership team endorsed or lobbied for this change. There is no need to tie the hands of judges who use their judicial discretion justly.
We are not advocating for lengthy prison sentences, mass incarceration, or mandatory minimums. We are asking that people in elected positions of power in our community not abuse that power to perpetuate a culture of impunity for privileged sex offenders.
On June 5th, please vote to recall Judge Persky.
Sincerely,
Nicole Bratz
Co-Chair, Committee to Recall Judge Persky
San Francisco