Judge Cleared Of Wrongdoing In Stanford Sexual Assault Case

When California Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky sentenced former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner to six months in county jail and three years of probation for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, he became a lightning rod for a national debate over sexual violence on campus. Persky’s sentence was widely criticized as too lenient; Turner could have faced as many as 14 years in prison. But an independent state agency this week cleared Persky of judicial misconduct. The Commission on Judicial Performance had received thousands of complaints about Persky from those who felt he abused his authority, and showed unfair bias toward Turner. “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 commission wrote in its unanimous decision to close the investigation without discipline. “We strongly disagree with the Commission’s conclusion on judicial bias and we believe that Judge Persky has in fact demonstrated a clear pattern of bias in cases of sex crimes and violence against women,” said Michele Dauber, a Stanford Law School professor who has led the effort to recall Persky from the bench. “We will continue to proceed with the recall election as it is important for Santa Clara County voters to decide whether Judge Persky should remain on the bench.”