Santa Clara County prosecutors have taken what they call "a rare and carefully considered step" to block the judge at the center of the Brock Turner sexual assault case from participating in a new case involving alleged sexual violence.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen used a prosecutor's peremptory challenge to keep Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky from presiding over the new case. Rosen's move was related to Persky's decision to dismiss a theft case on Monday and is also the latest chapter in the intensifying fallout from the Turner case.
On June 2, Persky sentenced Turner, 20, a former Stanford swimmer, to six months in county jail and three years probation for sexually assaulting a young woman passed out after drinking heavily at a fraternity party.
Turner had faced a maximum of 14 years in state prison for his three felony convictions, and prosecutors had sought a sentence of six years. In following a probation officer's recommendation for leniency, Persky expressed concern about the impact a longer sentence would have on Turner.
A firestorm followed: First, publication of the victim's statement, which questioned whether Turner had really taken responsibility for his acts. Next, an online petition to remove Persky from the bench, which, though it has no legal force, has gotten more than 1.2 million signatures to date.