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

[Double Down]

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

 

[Donny in his element]

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.

 

[cjericho]

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.

 

[The Big Ragu]

Looking at the photo of the guy, I was thinking there was no way he would have survived a stint in a California state prison. No way. Even in county for 6 months they may need to keep him segregated.

I can understand her frustration. Just horrible.

 

[Donny in his element]

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.

 

[poindexter]

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.

None of them give a ****. 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.

 

[Neutral Corner]

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

 

[Neutral Corner]

Oh, and the judge went to Stanford.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

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

Whose?

 

[Donny in his element]

I assume Brock Turner for 2016 Olympics

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

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

 

[justgladtobehere]

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

 

[LongTimeListener]

The judge is the one who messed up. I wonder how many 19-year-old black and Latin kids he has sent away for less violent crimes.

 

[dixiehack]

San Jose columnist was rooting for the lighter sentence.

Herhold: Brock Turner deserves county jail, not state prison, for Stanford sex assault

I do not envy him his inbox.

 

[Dick Whitman]

I'm working on a brief as a sit here to try to get my client out of a life sentence and I'm ****ing proud to do it.

Y'all can go pound sand.

 

[poindexter]

I'm working on a brief as a sit here to try to get my client out of a life sentence and I'm ****ing proud to do it.

Y'all can go pound sand.

Ergo my point, Donnie. Defense attorneys zealously defend the worst cretins we have. They justify it in any number of ways, wrap themselves around the constitution etc. (insert wanking motion here), and they all sleep like babies at night. I'm sure the Stanford swimmer defense team opened a nice, expensive bottle of merlot that night, and toasted each other on how they kept the rapist out of jail.

 

[User 4332]

In most cases it's possible to be a zealous advocate without being an asshole. I've seen very skilled defense attorneys handle cross examination of a victim in a compassionate way that accomplishes what they need without leaving the victim feeling re-traumatized. But they're in the minority.

It's easy to justify horrific personal behavior when you wrap yourself in that zealous advocate cape.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

I'm working on a brief as a sit here to try to get my client out of a life sentence and I'm ****ing proud to do it.

Y'all can go pound sand.

Put in there that the victim was drunk.

 

[Dick Whitman]

It's easy to justify horrific personal behavior when you wrap yourself in that zealous advocate cape.

But enough about prosecutors.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Someone should have burned down that frat house at UVa.