On Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the 6th District Court of Appeal in San Jose, California, ruled convicted sex offender Brock Turner received a fair trial and does not need a new one.
The former Stanford University swimmer was convicted of assault with intent to commit rape, sexual penetration of an intoxicated person, and sexual penetration of an unconscious person for assaulting an incapacitated woman outside of a frat party.
As part of his sentence – which included serving three months in jail – Turner was forced, and will continue to, register as a sex offender. For many people, that sentence seemed too light.
His lawyers were appealing the conviction on the basis that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to convict and the notion that Turner was attempting “sexual outercourse” with the woman since his pants stayed on during the assault.
“While it is true that defendant did not expose himself, he was interrupted,” the court said in its opinion. “Jurors reasonably could have inferred from the evidence described above that, if the graduate students had not stopped defendant, he would have exposed himself and raped [the victim].”
Turner could still petition the California Supreme Court to consider his appeal if he so chooses.
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
