The California judge whose lenient sexual assault sentence of former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner sparked national outrage has asked to quit presiding over criminal trials.
Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky will be reassigned to civil court in September at his request, according to a statement from the presiding judge first obtained by The Mercury News.
“While I firmly believe in Judge Persky’s ability to serve in his current assignment, he has requested to be assigned to the civil division, in which he previously served,” Presiding Judge Risë Jones Pichon said in the statement. “Judge Persky believes the change will aid the public and the court by reducing the distractions that threaten to interfere with his ability to effectively discharge the duties of his current criminal assignment.”
Persky has been the target of intense criticism and a recall campaign since June, when he sentenced Turner to six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on the Stanford campus. The judge disregarded the prosecutor’s argument for a six-year prison term, saying, “A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him. He added: “I think he will not be a danger to others.”
Turner will likely only serve three months.
Persky will continue to preside over criminal cases until next month. He recused himself from a new sex crimes case this week.
His transfer will not be permanent. Judges are rotated every year, and he could transfer back to criminal court in the future.