The California judge who has faced widespread criticism and a recall effort after sentencing a former Stanford University swimmer to six months in jail for sexual assault has voluntarily moved to civil court, reports the Los Angeles Times. The Santa Clara Superior Court said Judge Aaron Persky will move to the civil court in San Jose. Presiding Judge Risë Jones Pichon said Persky asked for the move to reduce the distraction that reaction to the sentencing of Brock Turner has brought to his courtroom.
“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,” she said, adding that 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.” The move comes after Persky, who is facing a recall effort by those who say the sentence he imposed on Turner for the sexual assault was too lenient, removed himself from a case in which he was set to decide whether to reduce the conviction of a plumber for possession of child pornography from a felony to a misdemeanor.