‘Probation is the best answer’
Excerpts from a letter Dan Turner wrote to the judge before his son, Brock Turner, was sentenced for sexual assault:
Brock is absolutely devastated by the events of Jan. 17 and 18, 2015. He would do anything to turn back the hands of time and have that night to do over again. He is truly sorry for what occurred that night and for all the pain and suffering that it has caused for all of those involved and impacted by that night.
Our family was full of pride and joy when we found out in the fall of 2013 that Brock had been accepted to Stanford. Brock was awarded a 60% swimming scholarship.
We were very excited for Brock as he settled into Stanford. He excelled in school that quarter, earning the top GPA for all freshmen on the swim team. What we didn’t realize was the extent to which Brock was struggling being so far from home. In hindsight, it’s clear that Brock was desperately trying to fit in at Stanford and fell into the culture of alcohol consumption and partying. This culture was modeled by many of the upperclassmen on the swim team and played a role in the events of Jan. 17 and 18, 2015.
Brock’s life has been deeply altered forever by the events of Jan. 17 and 18. He will never be his happy-go-lucky self with that easy going personality and welcoming smile. His every waking minute is consumed with worry, anxiety, fear and depression. His life will never be the one that he dreamed about and worked so hard to achieve. This is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20-plus years of life. That he now has to register as a sexual offender for the rest of his life forever alters where he can live, visit, work, and how he will be able to interact with people and organizations.
Incarceration is not the appropriate punishment for Brock. He has no prior criminal history and has never been violent to anyone, including his actions on the night of Jan. 17, 2015. Brock can do so many positive things, and is totally committed to educating other college age students about the dangers of alcohol consumption and sexual promiscuity.
By having people like Brock educate others on college campuses is how society can begin to break the cycle of binge drinking and its unfortunate results. Probation is the best answer for Brock, and allows him to give back to society.