If you haven't heard already, Brock Turner, the star athlete turned rapist, has been released early from prison for "good behavior." Judge Aaron Persky had originally sentenced Turner to six months in county jail for sexual assault, even though the minimum sentencing is at least six years. However, Turner was released three months early, meaning he only served half of his original sentence. Brock Turner recently came into the spotlight after his victim released a heart-wrenching letter, detailing the events of that night and beyond. His original sentencing sparked public outrage worldwide because of the injustice to his victim and women everywhere. Now, Brock Turner can freely roam the streets like a dangerous animal.
Or can he?
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Even though Turner is out of prison, his life will never go back to normal because of the many restrictions in his path. For example, Turner has five days from his release date (September 2nd, for those of you keeping score at home) to register as a sex offender in his hometown of Ohio. He also has to re-register as a sex offender every 90 days. With Ohio's sex offender laws, everyone who lives within 1,250 feet of him will receive a postcard with his name and offense on it and he is not allowed to live within 1,000 feet of a school or a playground.
Speaking of Ohio, Turner now has to live with his parents in Dayton, Ohio because he was, in a sense, expelled from Stanford University.
Stanford.
I have friends from high school, top of ten percent and heavily involved in the community, who got denied from Stanford.
Stanford is one of the best and most elite schools in the country (The actual quote from Stanford University was "... banned Turner from setting foot on campus – as a student or otherwise."). His swimming career is down the drain as well. In a statement from USA Swimming, he is not eligible for a membership with the organization (He was previously a member, but his membership had expired in 2014). Considering how angry the United States Olympic Committee is with Ryan Lochte and James Feigan's fabricated robbery in Rio, Turner has little to no chance of ever competing in any Olympic Games.
Brock Turner is probably the most hated person in America right now. From his victim-blaming father and friend to the evidence piled against him, it's no wonder that many tax-paying citizens are criticizing the Justice system. So many people have criticized his actions, including Vice President Joe Biden, who has actively advocated for women's rights since the 1990's. Even Oscar-winning actress, Brie Larson, has shared her opinion on the injustice given to the Stanford Victim. From now on, he'll get major side eye and verbal criticism for his actions from a majority of American citizens because of his "twenty minutes of action."
I'd like to close this article by saying this: Mr. Turner, welcome to reality. In this reality, we take responsibility for our actions and accept the punishment given. "Twenty minutes of action" is not an excuse for your behavior. You tarnished the name of one of the most prestigious universities in the country and tarnished your own family name. Your great-grandchildren (if any woman decides to procreate with her, bless her heart) and your descendants will remember you as a creep and a blemish on their family history. I hope you realized the brevity of the situation because it's not one that will go away anytime soon.
