Brock Turner, the former Stanford swimmer and convicted rapist whose lenient sentence for sexual assault prompted national outrage, is appealing his conviction.
In a Friday filing obtained by the San Jose Mercury News, Turner’s lawyers said his 2016 conviction is premised on “a detailed and lengthy set of lies,” warranting a new trial. Turner further claims Judge Aaron Persky erred in failing to instruct jurors to consider a conviction for lesser crimes.
Turner’s move is surprising, as a conviction in a new trial would expose him to a significant prison term.
The local district attorney vowed that the conviction would stand.
“Brock Turner received a fair trial and was justly convicted,” Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “His conviction will be upheld. Nothing can ever roll back Emily Doe’s legacy of raising the world’s awareness about sexual assault.”
Turner’s victim, styled Emily Doe in court papers, has never been publicly identified. Her victim-impact statement went viral after Turner was sentenced to just six months in prison for sexually assaulting Doe behind a dumpster at a party near the Stanford campus in 2015. The controversy was exacerbated by a letter Turner’s father wrote to the judge that was widely perceived as insensitive.
“You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why you’re here today,” her statement reads.
Turner was released after three months in prison.
Send tips to kevin@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.