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Aaron Persky, the California judge who sentenced Stanford University rapist Brock Turner to just months in jail for the sexual assault of an unconscious woman, was recalled on Tuesday, June 5, making him the first California judge to be recalled in more than 85 years.
During this year’s primary election in California, almost 60% of voters said they wanted Persky out, with about 40% said he should stay in office. If the recall goes through, it will mark the first time since 1932 that California voters opted to recall a sitting judge.
Persky made national headlines in 2016 when he sentenced Turner to a mere six months in prison, despite the fact that Turner was convicted of three charges of felony sexual assaults. The charges –two for felony sexual assault and one for attempted rape– carried a potential sentence of 14 years in prison. At the time, Persky said that “a prison sentence would have a severe impact on [Turner].”
Turner was released from Santa Clara County jail on September 2, 2016, having served three months of his six-month sentence. In addition to his prison term, Brock was sentenced to three years probation and must remain a lawfully registered sex offender for the rest of his life. In the aftermath of the sentencing, Persky was accused of judicial bias in favor of male, white and class privilege.
The Hill reports that Assistant District Attorney Cindy Hendrickson is poised to win the election to serve out the four remaining years of Persky’s term.
