Brock Turner, Stanford Swimmer Convicted of Sexual Assault, To Be Released Friday

Brock Turner, the Stanford University student and swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious and intoxicated woman last year, is expected to be released from the Santa Clara County Jail this Friday.

BROCK TURNER TO BE RELEASED FROM JAIL FRIDAY

At Friday’s scheduled release, Turner, 19, will have only served half of his six-month sentence. His conviction brought a lot of attention to the issue of sexual assault on campus, especially to the light and minimal sentencing generally given to the offender.

In January 2015, Turner was seen behind a garbage bin on the Stanford campus assaulting an unconscious woman. Two graduate students caught him and held him down as he tried to flee before police arrived and made the arrest. Turner was found guilty and charged with three felony counts of sexual assault.

The presiding judge, Aaron Persky, sentenced Turner to just six months in jail and three years probation. Many believed this was far too light a sentence for the crime that was committed. “The predatory offender has failed to take responsibility, failed to show remorse and failed to tell the truth,” says District Attorney Jeff Rosen. “The sentence does not factor in the true seriousness of this sexual assault, or the victim’s ongoing trauma.”

Turner’s case joins dozens that have been in the public eye recently, where the offender got away with an extremely lenient sentencing. In fact, this case in particular was the inspiration for a recent amendment by California lawmakers requiring prison time for anyone convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious person or a person who is too intoxicated to give consent. This bill passed the state Assembly with a unanimous 66-0 vote.

“Why under the law is the sexual assault of an unconscious woman less terrible than that of a conscious women?” asked DA Rosen. “Is it less degrading? Less traumatic?”

If passed, however, the bill will not affect Turner, who is still set to be released Friday. See Turner’s most recent tweet below, as Twitter is available to him in the Santa Clara County Jail.