PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 20 (UPI) — A judicial commission in California cleared accusations of bias against a judge who gave what many think was far too lenient a sentence to a Stanford swimmer accused of sexually assaulting a drunk woman behind a dumpster.
The California Commission on Judicial Performance found no evidence of bias by Judge Aaron Persky during the trial, despite concerns being raised about his graduation from Stanford influencing his acts on the bench.
Criticism of Persky started almost immediately after he sentenced Stanford swimmer Brock Turner to six months in county jail and three year’s probation for sexually assaulting a woman who’d passed out behind a dumpster after drinking too much at a party. Turner was found standing over her body, taking pictures.
While many in the community feel Turner got such a light sentence because he is white, and also because of the Stanford connection, Persky and the commission say he followed norms and suggestions given to him by a probation officer and others.
“The commission has concluded that there is not clear and convincing evidence of bias, abuse of authority, or other basis to conclude that Judge Persky engaged in judicial misconduct warranting discipline,” the panel said in its decision.
After Turner received the seemingly light sentence, a series of complaints was filed against Persky built around his abusing his authority and displaying bias, giving an unlawful sentence, failure to take sexual assault of women seriously, a nonwhite or less privileged person would have received a more harsh sentence and the previously undisclosed link to Stanford University.
“We believe that the record is completely clear that Judge Persky has a long record of failing to take violence against women seriously, and we will demonstrate when we launch the campaign early next year,” said Michelle Dauber, a Stanford law professor and friend of the victim. “We believe that voters support the recall and will replace Judge Persky.”
