The Stanford swimmer, the rape, and the letter the victim read in court

Pretty sure there is a version of this thread somewhere but the update is worth it.

TL/DR version: Aspiring Stanford swimmer meets a girl a party, she gets wasted, he takes her away from the party and is caught by two graduate students bicycling by while he was raping her behind a dumpster.

He is convicted by a jury, but the judge decides he should not go to prison (six months in jail; probation) because of the harm it will do to him.

http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/06/sta...turner-sentenced.html?mid=facebook_thecutblog

What you should read, though, is the letter the victim read in court, which is stunning.

Here's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her Attacker

 

Wow. Just wow. I can only imagine the faces of Brock, the defense counsel, the judge, the probation officer, as she addressed them. But, dammit, I hope they emoted shame.

 

The faces of the defense counsel? It is their job to defend scumbags. If every shred of evidence was not handled exactly the way it was supposed to, their job is to show that and prevent their client from being found guilty. Of course, many times they know the scumbag they defend is guilty. But if they win, it is justice for them.

 

I don't begrudge them their jobs. I appreciate their role. Doesn't mean that from a human, empathetic level, I shouldn't be curious of their reaction. This had to be among the most well-written, narratively jarring victim statements to the court they've ever heard.

 

None of them give a shit. The defense attorneys buy new houses defending rapists from rich families. This rapist has never fully given an unconditional apology here.

You're barking up the wrong tree.

 

Go take a look at his Facebook page. I suppose it could be a troll, to be fair. Fucking horrible.

 

Oh, and the judge went to Stanford.

 

Whose?

 

I assume Brock Turner for 2016 Olympics

 

To write that letter would be difficult enough. But to read it? Unbelievable courage.

 

There is no other option than there to be zealous advocates for every defendant. Everybody who bitches about defense attorneys can screw.