Judge in Stanford rape case faces recall campaign

Judge in Stanford rape case faces recall.
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Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky is facing a recall effort after he sentenced Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner, 20, to just six months in jail for raping an unconscious woman behind a dumpster near campus. Critics are calling Turner's sentence a "slap on the wrist" and a "mockery of the seriousness of his assault." Stanford law professor Michele Dauber, who is leading the campaign for Persky's removal, says that the judge, a Stanford alum, "bent over backwards to make an exception."

Persky cited Turner's lack of a criminal record and the anguish he faced from media scrutiny as justification for his sentencing decision. "Obviously, the prison sentence would have a severe impact on him,” Persky said in court. "The defendant is youthful and has no significant record of prior criminal offenses."

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