Activists Rally at California Commission on Judicial Performance HQ With Giant Pink Slips Demanding Removal of Judge Persky from the Bench
MEDIA ADVISORY FOR: Wednesday, August 24, 11:00 AM PT
CONTACT: Madison Donzis | madison@unbendablemedia.com
WED 11AM: Activists Rally at California Commission on Judicial Performance HQ With Giant Pink Slips Demanding Removal of Judge Persky from the Bench
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA — On Wednesday, August 24th, activists from UltraViolet, a national women’s advocacy organization, will rally outside the California Commission on Judicial Performance with giant pink slips calling for the removal of Judge Persky from the bench over his failure to properly provide justice for the survivors of rape, sexual assault and domestic violence.
At the rally, UltraViolet members will read aloud portions of Emily Doe’s letter to the Court in which she detailed the impact that rapist Brock Turner had on her life. UltraViolet members will also deliver the pink slips reading “Notice of Termination. Reason: Protecting Perpetrators, Not Survivors. #PerskyMustGo” to the Commission. Brock Turner is set to be released from prison on September 2nd.
WHAT: Delivery of Stanford Survivor Letter and Pink Slips to CA Commission
SEE PINK SLIP VISUALS HERE: https://www.flickr.com/photos/79559505@N06/sets/72157669686065633
WHERE: California Commission on Judicial Performance, 455 Golden Gate Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102
WHEN: Wednesday, August 24, 2016, at 11 AM PT
Earlier this week, Judge Persky recused himself from his first sex-crimes case since the Turner ruling. In that case, Judge Persky said that he would be open to reducing a felony conviction for possession of child pornography to a misdemeanor charge.
“Case after case, Judge Persky has allowed his own personal bias to distort the criminal justice system to the benefit of privileged men – rapists, abusers and possessors of child porn – over the survivors of their crimes,” explained Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet. “We need judges that support survivors of rape and domestic abuse and provide justice for the crimes committed against them. That’s why more than 1 million UltraViolet members from California to Florida continue to call on the California Commission on Judicial Performance to remove Judge Persky from the bench – and ensure that all survivors of sex crimes get the justice that they deserve.”
Since news of Judge Persky’s verdict in the Brock Turner case broke, UltraViolet has:
- delivered the signatures of more than 1,000,000 UltraViolet members to the California Commission on Judicial Performance office in San Francisco on June 10th 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.
- organized a survivor speak-out outside the June 29th meeting of the California Commission on Judicial Performance, where survivors of sexual assault shared their stories and called for Judge Persky’s removal from the bench.
- collaborated with Courage Campaign in getting more than 350 potential jurors in Santa Clara County to pledge to never serve in Judge Persky’s courtroom.
- organized more than 1000 survivors of sexual assault in a letter calling for the California Commission on Judicial Performance to take action against Judge Persky.
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UltraViolet is an online community of over 1,000,000 women and men who want to take collective action to expose and fight sexism in the public sector, private sector and the media. Find out more at WeAreUltraViolet.org.