Earlier this year, former Stanford University student, Brock Turner, was sentenced to 6 months in jail for the rape of a fellow student. While charged with intent to commit rape of an intoxicated unconscious person, penetration of an intoxicated person and penetration of an unconscious person, he was released from jail after serving only 3 months of his sentence.
The shock and outrage that surrounded his initial lenient sentencing, coupled with a letter from the victim that went viral, sparked widespread debate and anger over the topic of rape culture on college campuses in the United States.
Now, six months after Turner's sentencing, what has changed in California?
California Six Months Later
In California, lawmakers have voted for a bill that will change the current state law. As it stands now, victims of sexual assault involving penetration who are unconscious or severely intoxicated are treated differently to those who are able to resist an attack. The state considers the use of force as a factor for mandatory denial of probation.
California's new bill would extend automatic denial to all penetrative sexual assaults, regardless of what state the victim is in. In essence, the bill calls for a mandatory prison term in the case of rape, eliminating the judge’s discretion to sentence someone to probation.
The bill is currently on Governor Jerry Brown’s desk waiting on approval or rejection.
Judge Aaron Persky
A petition seeking to impeach Judge Aaron Persky,who presided over the case which resulted in brock turner's lenient sentence, has collected 1.3 million signatures in the past three months. Judge Persky is up for re-election this November and currently has no opponent.
The recall campaignwould bethe only means of removing him from the stand. (He won his race in the California primary earlier this year).
California is taking the lead inadvocating for punishing those responsible for the rape of intoxicated, incapacitated college students, but it is still to be seen what will happen around the rest of the country.
