Prosecutor in Brock Turner case gives victims a voice

Why you want to know her: Alaleh Kianerci has been a prosecutor with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office for nine years but was thrust onto the national stage when she took on the People v. Brock Turner case. Stanford freshman and student-athlete Turner was found guilty of sexually assaulting an intoxicated woman on campus and sentenced to six months in jail.

Throughout the case, Kianerci spoke on behalf of the victim. “You can empower a victim when you can tell them ‘I’m going to fight for your case. I can’t promise you that the right thing will happen, but I promise you I will work my damnedest to see that it will.’ ” Kianerci said.

Kianerci grew up in Cupertino, graduating from Monta Vista High School. She studied political science at UC Santa Cruz and earned her law degree at Santa Clara University. Her parents immigrated to the United States during the Iranian revolution before she was born. Her father, an engineer, and her mother, marketing manager for Gillette-turnedSantana Row-restaurateur, were involved in politics and human rights in Iran and encouraged their daughter to follow her passion for helping people.

Lasting impact: “To women out there who are interested in becoming a prosecutor, I say do it and you can advance the cause of women who are often victimized. I’d tell them about my favorite quote from Maya Angelou, ‘Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it, she stands for all women.’ ”