UltraViolet Responds to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Proposal of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Rapists

Statement from Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet:

“Rosen’s proposal also does nothing to hold Judge Persky – a man who chose to protect a privileged white athlete and rapist over the survivor of his crimes – accountable for his decision.

“While it is long past time that our justice system take the crime of rape seriously, we need judges who focus on finding justice for rape survivors, not the re-hashing of bad policies that rig the system against poor people and people of color.”

In the last weeks, UltraViolet has:

• delivered the signatures of more than 1,000,000 UltraViolet members to the California Commission on Judicial Performanceoffice in San Francisco petitioning for the removal of Judge Aaron Persky.
• commissioned a plane to fly over Stanford University ahead of graduation and commencement ceremonies with a banner reading: “Protect Survivors. Not Rapists. #PerskyMustGo.”
• taken out a full-page ad in The Stanford Daily’s graduation issue inviting students and alumni to take a stand against rape culture.
• organized a letter of more than 1000 Stanford alumni calling on the Commission on Judicial Performance to remove Persky from the bench.
• commissioned a billboard to run on State Highway 92 urging Bay Area residents to call on the California Commission on Judicial Performance to remove Judge Persky.