April 13, 2020 | By Greene Broillet & Wheeler
Most Californians are now familiar with the infamous Brock Turner trial, in which the Stanford swimmer received a lenient sentence for sexual assault.
Despite being found guilty of three counts of sexual assault for attacking an unconscious woman after a party on Stanford’s campus in 2015, Turner only received five months in prison for his crime. Meanwhile, prosecutors recommended a six-year sentence, with a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
The national outrage sparked by this sentencing led California to change the state’s criminal codes for acts of sexual violence and greatly expanded the definition of rape.
In the wake of the Brock Turner trial and subsequent public outcry, California passed Assembly Bills 701 and 2888, which changed how the state’s criminal code handles sex-related crimes.
AB 2888 eliminates probation as an option for sexual assault offenders whose victims were intoxicated or unconscious. AB 701 expands the state’s definition of rape beyond the use or threat of physical force.
Previously, rape has been defined as “an act of sexual intercourse” under certain conditions of force, duress, or lack of consent.
California’s new laws should ensure that many more perpetrators of sexual assault are brought to justice.
If you have been a victim of sexual abuse or assault, our Los Angeles trial attorneys are here for you. We have extensive experience fighting for the rights of sexual abuse victims, and we have secured numerous settlements and verdicts for our clients to that effect.