Judicial panel clears California judge who gave lenient sentence in sexual assault

[tricia]

The Commission on Judicial Performance concluded Monday that a Santa Clara County judge did not engage in judicial misconduct when he gave a lenient sentence to former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner following his conviction for sexual assault.
Judge Aaron Persky’s sentencing was within “parameters set by law and was therefore within the judge’s discretion,” the commission wrote in its ruling. The commission, an independent state agency, announced that it was closing its investigation on Persky.


http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/...ky-no-judicial-misconduct-20161219-story.html

Interesting.

 

[JeannaT]

In the victim's letter to the court after the guilty verdicts were announced, she alluded to asking for leniency. The probation officer interviewed her, and passed her words on to the judge. Does anyone have a copy of what her actual request was? She says this in the letter:

"I told the probation officer I do not want Brock to rot away in prison. I did not say he does not deserve to be behind bars. The probation officer’s recommendation of a year or less in county jail is a soft time*out, a mockery of the seriousness of his assaults, an insult to me and all women. It gives the message that a stranger can be inside you without proper consent and he will receive less than what has been defined as the minimum sentence. Probation should be denied. I also told the probation officer that what I truly wanted was for Brock to get it, to understand and admit to his wrongdoing."

So my question is, did the probation officer and the judge believe they were following the wishes of the victim? They gave him probation and then the worst thing you can sentence a sex offender to, which is to register as a sex offender for life. I wouldn't call that a "lenient" sentence - if they had sentenced him to 10 years in prison but after that no registering for the rest of his life as a SO, that would be more lenient. Much more, actually.

So. Was the judge surprised by the victim's reaction to the sentence?