They're calling it a reward for ‘good behavior’
Brock Turner is getting out of jail. It had to happen eventually, of course. But the former Stanford student who was convicted on three sexual assault charges is being released after just three months for what was deemed “good behavior.”
The saga of Turner’s case captured the nation’s attention earlier this year. Even Vice President Joe Biden weighed in, writing a letter to the survivor of Turner’s attack, saying, “you were failed” by a system that still doesn’t take sexual assault seriously enough but that her brave gesture of facing down her attacker in court would “save lives.” Turner’s assault made headlines and ignited controversy after it was revealed that he was only stopped after two men on bicycles spotted him on top of the unconscious woman. Turner, now 21, attempted to flee the scene but was restrained by the two men until campus police arrived.
Prosecutors in the case originally sought a six-year-sentence for his crime, which carried a maximum potential 14-year-penalty. However, the judge in case handed down a six-month-conviction that was widely criticized. In fact, Santa Clara Judge Aaron Persky has become so controversial that he successfully requested to have himself removed from future criminal cases, as he felt his presence would reduce the likelihood of fair and impartial trials.
Unofficially called the “Brock Turner Law,” a bill passed through the California State legislature in August with a resounding 77-1 vote seeking to prohibit judges from handing down similarly lenient sentences in future sexual assault cases. The bill is expected to head to Gov. Jerry Brown for approval.
Turner’s early release apparently isn’t abnormal. The Associated Press reports that inmates at Santa Clara County Jail, where Turner is currently detained, typically only serve half of their sentences if they maintain “clean disciplinary records” while behind bars. Turner will still have to register as a sex offender upon his release.
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