Petition to Impeach Stanford Rape Judge Hits 1 Million Signatures
Judge Aaron Persky gave Brock Turner six-month sentence for sexually assaulting unconscious woman in Jan. 2015
Joe Otterson | June 10, 2016 @ 8:16 AM
Last Updated: June 10, 2016 @ 8:26 AM
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A petition aimed at forcing impeachment hearings against the judge in the Stanford rape trial has garnered over one million signatures.
“We the people would like to petition that Judge Aaron Persky be removed from his Judicial position for the lenient sentence he allowed in the Brock Turner rape case,” the Change.org campaign states.
“Despite a unanimous guilty verdict, three felony convictions, the objections of 250 Stanford students, Jeff Rosen the district attorney for Santa Clara, as well as the deputy district attorney who likened Turner to ‘a predator searching for prey’ Judge Persky allowed the lenient sentence suggested by the probation department,” the petition continued.
Turner received a six-month sentence, but is expected to serve only three months with good behavior, per county corrections rules. While one million signatures is nothing to scoff at, several legal experts recently told TheWrap that recalling Persky from the bench would be unlikely.
But Stanford Law Prof. Michele Dauber said she intends to launch an official recall drive, and as of Wednesday received $6,000 in contributions so far to support an effort to gather 58,634 signatures in 160 days.
The Stanford story drew national attention after the survivor, who has not been named publicly, shared her own 12-page statement describing in excruciating detail how she was raped behind a dumpster while unconscious.
The 23-year-old victim also slammed Turner and his lawyer for trying to discredit her by making an issue of the fact that she was intoxicated at the time of the attack.
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Cesar Millan, "Cesar 911" "Dog Whisperer" star Cesar Millan was investigated by L.A. County Animal Control when a complaint of animal cruelty was made against his dog psychology center in Santa Clarita, California, in March 2016.
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Austin "Chumlee" Russell, "Pawn Stars" Austin Russell, aka Chumlee, was arrested in March 2016 when officers found marijuana, methamphetamine and a weapon in his possession while executing a search warrant for an alleged sexual assualt.
Kim Richards, "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" Former child star and "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" alum Kim Richards had multiple run-ins with the law since her stint on the Bravo reality show ended. Richards was arrested in August 2015 after being caught shoplifting more than $600 worth of goods from a Los Angeles Target.
Caitlyn Jenner, "I Am Cait" "Keeping up With the Kardashians" and "I Am Cait" star Caitlyn Jenner faced possible manslaughter charges following an car accident in February 2015 that resulted in the death of 65-year-old Kim Howe. Ultimately, prosecutors decided not to press criminal charges.
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Teresa and Joe Giudice, "Real Housewives of New Jersey" Teresa Giudice and her husband Joe pled guilty to 41 counts of financial fraud in March 2014, leading the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star to spend 11 months in federal prison.
Richard Hatch, "Survivor" After winning the first season of CBS' "Survivor," Richard Hatch served 51 months in federal prison for tax evasion in 2006. He served another nine months for failing to amend his tax returns as ordered by the court.
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Abby Lee Miller, "Dance Moms"
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Joshua Tel Warner, “Deadliest Catch” One of the cast members of Discovery's popular series "Deadliest Catch," Joshua Tel Warner was arrested in December 2009 for a string of three bank robberies in the Oregon area.
Michael Skupin, “Survivor” In February 2016, "Survivor" alum Michael Skupin was arrested on possession of child pornography during an investigation into a Ponzi scheme in which he was allegedly involved.
Khloe Kardashian, "Keeping up With the Kardashians" In March 2007, Khloe Kardashian, one of the stars of E!'s "Keeping up With the Kardashians," was arrested for driving under the influence. She later served three hours of jail time for violating probation.
Billy and Joshua Brown, “Alaskan Bush People” Billy Brown and son, Joshua "Bam Bam," Brown were sentenced to 30 days in prison for lying on Permanent Fund dividend applications in January 2016.
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From “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Milan and Austin “Chumlee” Russell of “Pawn Stars,” to “Real Housewives” star Teresa Giudice, 11 reality TV alums who’ve had run-ins with the law