The California judge under fire for his handling of a sexual assault case involving a now-former Stanford student will no longer hear criminal cases, a Santa Clara County Superior Court spokesman said.
Judge Aaron Persky is facing a recall effort after sentencing former student Brock Turner to six months in jail for felony rape.
Effective September 6, Persky will hear cases in the civil division, Presiding Judge Risë Jones Pichon said in a statement.
“While I firmly believe in Judge Persky’s ability to serve in his current assignment, he has requested to be assigned to the civil division, in which he previously served,” he said.
“Judge Persky believes the change will aid the public and the court by reducing the distractions that threaten to interfere with his ability to effectively discharge the duties of his current criminal assignment.”
Earlier this week, Persky recused himself from making a decision in a different sex case.
Persky was expected to decide on Thursday whether to reduce a plumber’s felony conviction for possession of child pornography to a misdemeanor, but has now decided to take himself off the case, apparently in light of media coverage.
The judge has faced harsh criticism since he sentenced former Stanford swimmer Turner to six months in county jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. Prosecutors had asked that Turner be sentenced to six years in prison for the January 2015 assault.
