Ex-Stanford Swimmer Brock Turner Out of Jail After 3 Months Following Rape Conviction

SAN JOSE, CA — Brock Turner, a member of Stanford University's swimming team at the time of his crime, could have spent 14 years in prison for his conviction of raping an unconscious woman during an on-campus fraternity party in 2015. Instead, he was sentenced to just six months in the county jail. This morning, he walked out the front door of that jail after just three months, freed early because of good behavior.

He walked straight to a waiting SUV, got in and was driven away. It's unknown if Turner will remain in California. Stanford kicked him out of school.

The outcry over Turner's lenient sentence by Judge Aaron Persky caused an outcry by women's activists and social justice critics who thought he got off easy because of his race and social standing. An effort has been made to get Persky kicked off the bench. Just last week, he asked to be reassigned from criminal court to civil.

Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith made brief remarks to reporters outside the jail Friday morning before and after Turner was released from custody.

"He should be in prison right now, but he's not in our custody," Smith said.

The case has also led to legislation in the form of Assembly Bill 2888, which would change the required minimum sentence for convicted rapists of unconscious victims to three years in prison.

In a Wednesday letter addressed to California Gov. Jerry Brown, Smith urged the governor to sign the bill and make it clear probation is not a fair sentence for anyone convicted of a sexual felony perpetrated against an intoxicated and unconscious victim.

"As the sheriff of Santa Clara County and a mother, I believe that the interests of justice are best served by ensuring that sexual predators are sent to prison as punishment for their crime," she said in the letter.

"Victims of these types of sexual assaults struggle for years to cope with the damage done to their lives, and knowing that there is more just punishment to those that perpetrated these assaults my provide some solace to these victims."

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen released this statement, "If we had our way, Brock Turner would be in state prison serving a six year sentence, not going home. However, our focus today is on a bill that will require a state prison sentence, not probation, for anyone convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious person. With the Governor’s signature, the next Brock Turner will go to prison."

Related case coverage:

• Former Stanford Swimmer Convicted of Sex Assault Will be Released Friday
• Stanford Woman to Attacker: 'I Don't Want My Body Anymore'
• Father of Convicted Swimmer Blames '20 Minutes of Action'
• Stanford Rapist's Sentence: Now, With 'Good Behavior,' He'll Serve Only 3 Months
• Online Petition Calls For Removal Of Judge In Stanford Sentencing
• Stanford Toughens Booze Rules: Large Liquor Bottles Prohibited; Hard Alcohol Banned From Undergrad Events
• Former Stanford Swimmer To Face Charges of Alleged Rape Of Unconscious Woman
• Ex-Stanford Swimmer Admits To Fondling, But Denies Raping Unconscious Woman At Frat Part
• Massive Protest Expected For Release of Former Stanford Swimmer

— Bay City News contributed to this article; Photo via Santa Clara Co. Sheriff's Office