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Over 5000 Californians to Judge Persky: “We Will Never Serve as a Juror in Your Court”
Californians Join UltraViolet and Courage Campaign, Call for Removal of Judge Persky Over Brock Turner Sentencing
CALIFORNIA — Nearly 5,400 people have joined with UltraViolet, a national women’s advocacy organization, and the California-based Courage Campaign, in saying they would refuse to serve as jurors in Judge Aaron Persky’s courtroom. The latest effort comes after Judge Persky’s decision to sentence Brock Turner, a convicted-rapist, to a mere six months in jail, despite requests from the survivor and prosecutor for a longer term.
At least ten jurors are already on-record refusing to serve in Judge Persky’s courtroom, with potential jurors calling out Persky during the selection process saying “I can’t be here, I’m so upset” and “I can’t believe what you did.”
The latest effort from UltraViolet and Courage Campaign has brought together nearly 5,400 Californians in a pledge to NEVER serve as a juror in Judge Persky’s courtroom.
VIEW THE ULTRAVIOLET PETITION HERE:
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/sign/persky_jurors_pledge
VIEW THE COURAGE CAMPAIGN PETITION HERE:
http://act.couragecampaign.org/sign/PerskyJurorPledge/
“California jurors, Santa Clara County prosecutors, and more than 1 million UltraViolet members from the Bay Area to the Atlantic Ocean agree: Judge Persky was wrong to prioritize the interests of a privileged white rapist over the survivor of his crimes and has undermined faith in the judicial system,” explained Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet. “With this latest action, potential jurors in California are sending a powerful message to Judge Persky and the California Commission on Judicial Performance: the public does not trust Judge Persky to deliver justice, and he should be removed from the bench.”
“Judge Persky’s decision in the Brock Turner case is a horrifying example of how rape culture has taken over our Courts. By sentencing Brock Turner — a privileged, white, star athlete at Stanford who was found guilty of a violent sex crime — to only 6 months in jail, and worrying that a longer sentence on Turner would have a ‘severe impact’ on him, Judge Persky proved that he cares more about the well-being of a rapist than the well-being of the survivor. Each day Persky remains a judge is an insult to sexual assault survivors everywhere. That’s why jurors from across California are sending a powerful message — that Judge Persky has no business staying on the bench, and that they will refuse to serve in his Courtroom,” added Laura Leavitt, campaign manager of the California-based Courage Campaign.
In the last month, UltraViolet has:
● delivered the signatures of more than 1,000,000 UltraViolet members to the California Commission on Judicial Performance office in San Francisco petitioning for the removal of Judge Aaron Persky. Courage Campaign contributed 28,377 signatures to this effort.
● commissioned a plane to fly over Stanford University ahead of graduation and commencement ceremonies with a banner reading: “Protect Survivors. Not Rapists. #PerskyMustGo.”
● taken out a full-page ad in The Stanford Daily’s graduation issue inviting students and alumni to take a stand against rape culture.
● organized a letter of more than 1000 Stanford alumni calling on the Commission on Judicial Performance to remove Persky from the bench.
● commissioned a billboard to run on State Highway 92 urging Bay Area residents to call on the California Commission on Judicial Performance to remove Judge Persky.
● organized a survivor speak-out outside the June 29th meeting of the California Commission on Judicial Performance, where survivors of sexual assault shared their stories and called for Judge Persky’s removal from the bench.
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UltraViolet is an online community of over 1,000,000 women and men who want to take collective action to expose and fight sexism in the public sector, private sector and the media. Find out more at WeAreUltraViolet.org.
CourageCampaign.org fights for a more progressive California and country. We are an online community powered by more than 1.3 million members.