SAN JOSE — Santa Clara County supervisors Tuesday placed the recall of Judge Aaron Persky on the June 5 ballot, setting the stage for voters to decide whether to oust a sitting judge in California for only the fourth time in more than a century.
The board was obligated to put the measure on the countywide ballot after proponents of recalling Persky turned in more than 95,000 signatures last month. The pro-recall campaign contends that the Superior Court judge gave too lenient a sentence to a Stanford athlete who sexually assaulted an intoxicated, unconscious young woman outside a campus fraternity party three years ago.
Recall opponents note that Persky’s six-month sentence for Brock Turner was lawful and followed a probation department recommendation, noting that Turner must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life under California law.. And they argue that a recall will threaten judicial independence and result in unduly harsh sentences, mostly for people of color. [Read Full Article]
