Controversial rapist Brock Turner seeks to overturn conviction

Brock Turner was convicted of three counts of sexual assault in March 2016 in a case that drew national attention for his six-month sentence. He is appealing his conviction, with legal documents filed Dec. 1. (Photo: Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
Brock Turner was convicted of three counts of sexual assault in March 2016 in a case that drew national attention for his six-month sentence. He is appealing his conviction, with legal documents filed Dec. 1. (Photo: Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

Controversial convicted rapist Brock Turner, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman, is seeking to appeal his case.

At the time of his conviction in March 2016, Turner’s case drew heavy criticism because of the seemingly lenient sentencing the former Stanford student received. After being found guilty of three felony counts of sexual assault, Turner was sentenced to six months of jail time and was released after serving three months.

In a move this past Friday, Turner’s legal team filed a 172-page brief, describing his trial as a “detailed and lengthy set of lies” and are seeking to overturn his mandatory requirement to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Among the claims in the documents is the notion that the jury in the trial was “tainted” because prosecutors repeatedly stated the assault was committed behind a dumpster. Turner’s lawyers point out that the victim — referred to as Emily Doe in the trial — was found instead in an open area near a basketball court. They further state that they do not believe what happened was a crime. In sum, the appeal is based on claims of prosecutorial misconduct and violations of due process.

California Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky is currently fighting a recall effort being led by activists outraged by the six-month sentence.

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