Roommates, did you hear about the #Stanford rape case last week? This March, 20 year old Brock Turner was convicted of raping a woman and prosecutors pleaded for a six-year prison sentence. Shockingly,
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky said that Turner’s age and lack of criminal history convinced him that imposing a six-month jail sentence (three with good behavior) in addition to probation and registering as a sex offender was harsh enough.
What’s even more astounding is that the judge said, “A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him,” and “I think he will not be a danger to others.” Thankfully, someone is speaking out against this ruling and it is high school football phenom Brian Banks who was wrongfully convicted of rape at the age of 16 back. “It was like I was not even in the room,” he said Monday. “I felt like I wasn’t a human being. I was a number.”
Banks would be sentenced to six years behind bars for an act that he didn’t even commit, but in 2012, his accuser had a change of heart and confessed that she lied about everything. Comparing his ordeal to that of Turner has convinced Banks that there are two sides to the law and that the 20 year old Stanford student is in favor of both of them due to his lifestyle.
“I would say it’s a case of privilege. It seems like the judge based his decision on lifestyle. He’s lived such a good life and has never experienced anything serious in his life that would prepare him for prison. He was sheltered so much he wouldn’t be able to survive prison. What about the kid who has nothing, he struggles to eat, struggles to get a fair education? What about the kid who has no choice who he is born to and has drug-addicted parents or a non-parent household? Where is the consideration for them when they commit a crime?”
Roommates, do you also believe that Brock Turner’s case is a result of privilege or do you think that this is just another case of misogyny in the courtroom? Why or why not? Let’s chat!
TSR STAFF: Talia O. @theclosetratchet on Instagram & @tallyohhh on Twitter!
Source: http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/06/brian-banks-disgusted-by-brock-turner-ruling.html, http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/06/us/sexual-assault-brock-turner-stanford/
