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California: Judge Persky Recuses Himself from Another Case

HeadlineAug 24, 2016

In California, Judge Aaron Persky has recused himself from another sexual crimes case, amid the ongoing controversy over his lenient sentencing of former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner. In June, Persky gave Turner a six-month jail sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster, saying he was concerned a longer prison sentence would have a “severe impact” on the Stanford University swimmer. Persky has also sparked controversy over his 2015 decision to give Robert Chain a four-day prison sentence, after Chain pleaded guilty to possessing child abuse images. Persky has now stepped down from Chain’s case, which has a hearing on Thursday over whether Chain’s charge will be reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor. More than 1 million people have signed a petition demanding Persky be removed from the bench.

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