iThe six-month sentence imposed by the judge in the Stanford University sexual assault case has ignited calls for greater judicial accountability and transparency in California state courts.
Among them, Assemblywoman Catharine Baker has requested an audit of the body that investigates judicial misconduct, the Commission on Judicial Performance.
The state created the Commission on Judicial Performance in 1960 as an independent agency responsible for investigating complaints against the state’s 2,175 active judges. It’s mandated to protect the public against “incompetency, misconduct or nonperformance on the bench.”
However, as the Stanford case illustrates, the public has access to little information on how the commission conducts its investigations.
The Stanford case became a national controversy when Judge Aaron Persky sentenced former student Brock Turner to six months in prison after a jury found him guilty of three sexual assault charges. Turner faced a possible 14 years in prison, but Persky said a longer sentence would have a severe impact on the former Stanford swimmer.
The commission won’t report how many complaints have been filed against Persky, even as his handling of another case draws scrutiny.
“Complaints to the commission and investigations are confidential,” said Victoria Henley, the director and chief counsel of the commission.
In requesting the audit, Baker, a Republican from San Ramon, hopes to open up a commission that has been criticized for its lack of action and lack of transparency.
The PPJ Gazette 