There are an innumerable amount of dismaying factors with People v. Turner. For starters, there is a culprit, a victim, and two witnesses that collaborated and confirmed the crime. Although common sense and decent morality would dictate that the culprit would be sentenced to a suitable prison sentence, real life "justice" didn't deem it that way. Instead, Brock Turner walked away with a six month prison sentence, but "good behavior" on his part reduced his sentence to a laughable three-month stint. This past Friday Turner was released from the Santa Clara County Jail. Ignoring the photographers and reporters, he climbed into a black SUV to presumably live with his parents in his native Ohio.
(Image courtesy of Splash News)
And that's the last we'll hear of Brock Turner.
His name will become a distant reminder of how the judicial system failed to enact justice for a victim, but his life will proceed as all other sex offenders' lives do: normally. Upon returning to Ohio, Turner will have to register as a sex offender. He may even be accosted by protestors for a few days outside of his home, but then what? He will still be living through his routine with a three-month jail story to break the ice, and the rest of the nation will sit in awe as they come to accept that a criminal is walking free and there's nothing they can do about it.
Petitions have been signed to recall Judge Aaron Persky's position on bench, but the likelihood of anything developing in the public's favor is incredibly slim; despite the widespread outrage from the public and his fellow judicial devotees.
Why?
Change, such as recall in Persky's instance, can only be attained by registered voters in Santa Clara County. They were responsible for electing him in the first place, so it makes sense that they're also the only ones that can revoke the misplaced privilege. Voting is crucial in local elections, because legal representatives like Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen don't think Persky deserved to be recalled and removed. Never mind the fact that he sided with the public and disagreed with Persky's decision. He didn't think it was reasonable to demote Persky from public power. If people in Persky's own field found his decision disappointing and revolting, why can't anything be done?
(Image courtesy of www.cbc.ca)
Registered voters have the opportunity to vote for representatives that could reflect their values more intently, but voting is often times the last thing on people's minds until a calamity occurs. Although the presidential campaign prompts many people to go to the ballots, voting should be a daily thing. As citizens, people have the right to elect officials who have the power to prevent people from making harmful verdicts like Persky's. Voting is incredibly important, and it should be part of the conversation. Turner's verdict brought sexual assault, rape culture, and social privilege to national attention, and it's about time that a legal solution is posed; a solution that doesn't just deal with punishing rapists like Turner, but also ensures that future criminals are adequately punished through the judicial system.
