# Would a black rapist have received such a lenient sentence? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 6, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668 "2016-06-06T19:33:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/1 "2016-06-06T19:33:49Z")
In a nutshell, here is the case: Stanford swimmer, Brock Turner, attends a frat party in January, 2015 where he meets the older sister of another Stanford student. Sister gets extremely drunk & Turner moves in. Details are sketchy because the woman blacked out and eventually lost consciousness. Fast forward an hour or so and 2 Swedish graduate students are riding their bikes and witness a man on top of a naked, unconscious woman behind a dumpster. They ask him what he is doing and he runs. They chase him down and detain him until the police arrive & he is arrested. Female victim is taken to the hospital and it confirmed that she had been raped. Turner is convicted on 3 felonies after a trial of blaming the victim. She wrote a compelling letter about her ordeal that she read in open court. The perpetrator’s father also wrote a letter to the court, asking for probation and saying his son should not be punished for “20 minutes of action” and rather should be given leniency because he could do a lot of good speaking to other kids about “alcohol consumption and promiscuity”. I was gobsmacked that this actually resonated with the judge, who handed down a very light sentence. 6 months in county, which apparently means release after 3 months. Additionally, I thought it was outrageous since “promiscuity” is not a crime and was not what he was convicted of. He was convicted of rape. Do you think, if Brock Turner had been a black man, that he would be given so a light sentence ? [Click here for the letter that the victim read to the court](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/stanford-university-rape-case-the-victims-letter-in-full-a7067146.html). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/2 "2016-06-06T20:05:28Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > Do you think, if Brock Turner had been a black man, that he would be given so a light sentence ? Hell no! I live not far from Stanford University and my facebook feed was \*frothing \*about this case all weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Yarster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/3 "2016-06-06T20:09:52Z")
While it’s hard to say, I’d like to think if the black rapist was also a Stanford student under the same circumstances, that yes, he could have received an equally light sentence. But I am also of the belief that a judge wouldn’t be racially biased. To me, the question is whether the person committing the crime would be likely to do it again and/or whether the cost of housing the person in jail/prison is justified given the crime and the history of past convictions. Assuming this is his first offense, and the fact he is a Stanford student whose life has already been ruined over this such that he will have a felony on his record that will forever haunt him, altering his life and he very likely won’t do it again, I assume that is the logic for the leniency. Or maybe I’m just a dick. Hard to say. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/4 "2016-06-06T20:13:23Z")
Would a black student-athlete be granted leniency? Let’s ask Jameis Winston. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/5 "2016-06-06T20:14:18Z")
Actually, I can conceive of a black rapist from a wealthy background receiving a similar sentence; what I cannot imagine is a student from a _poor_ background receiving such a lenient sentence. Turner’s family evidently had the means to hire a good attorney, and the know-how to work the system (although the backlash against his father’s remarkably tone-deaf statement suggests he’s a bit less savvy than he thinks). ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/6 "2016-06-06T20:17:42Z")
Of course a black man would have gotten a much stricter sentence. If you think otherwise you are extremely naive. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/7 "2016-06-06T20:18:50Z")
My (rather uninformed) opinion is that this case is less about race, and more about money & connections. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/8 "2016-06-06T20:19:39Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Of course a black man would have gotten a much stricter sentence. If you think otherwise you are extremely naive. So would probably most white men, too, I suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/9 "2016-06-06T20:21:09Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > Hell no! > I live not far from Stanford University and my facebook feed was \*frothing \*about this case all weekend. I would love to hear more details of what the locals think. No one is talking about this case where I live, but I find the sentencing outrageous. [Here is a case where 2 black university students](http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/crime/2016/02/12/2-former-wou-students-sentenced-8-years-rape-sex-abuse/80262008/) (not students at the time of the rape, just like Turner) and they got 8 years in prison. The prosecutor recommended 12 years for Turner, so the 6 months sentence was shocking…even if, he goes around to colleges to educate other kids about “alcohol consumption & promiscuity”. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/10 "2016-06-06T20:23:45Z")
I do think that there is this weird idea where we see this sort of behavior from a college student as a young person making a mistake but capable of growing out of it, but do not cut 18-year olds who aren’t in college the same slack–those we see as adults who are just fulfilling their criminal tendencies. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/11 "2016-06-06T20:24:44Z")
I just don’t even have words for this case. Black or white, the punishment is adding insult to injury for the victim. And from what I’ve read, he hasn’t even expressed remorse for what he did to her. Just for getting drunk. I don’t even know what to think of our judicial system anymore. What’s even more sickening is there’s no appeal process for cases like this where the judge clearly was a fucking idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/12 "2016-06-06T20:26:52Z")
There are articles pointing out that the county sheriff didn’t release his mugshot and questioning why that’s the case. And aside from the racial angle, I’m just amazed at what this kid threw away. The Stanford swim team is one of the best in the country, so to win a place on that team, I’m guessing that he spent most of his childhood doing laps. And then he won admission to one of the best colleges in the country (possibly on an athletic scholarship?). Now that’s all lost. What a freaking idiot. Or is he just a sociopath? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/13 "2016-06-06T20:28:20Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > The perpetrator’s father also wrote a letter to the court, asking for probation and saying his son should not be punished for “20 minutes of action” and rather should be given leniency because he could do a lot of good speaking to other kids about “alcohol consumption and promiscuity”. He can educate them that if they are rich, they can get away with anything. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/14 "2016-06-06T20:30:02Z")
**Would a black rapist have received such a lenient sentence?** Less likely for a variety of people. For a variety of reasons also, not simply direct racism in a judge favoring this guy because of the color of his skin, from beginning to end the case would have been treated differently and the odds are against the perpetrator of the wrong category being able to mount an adequate defense. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/15 "2016-06-06T20:35:16Z")
> [@Yarster](#): > > But I am also of the belief that a judge wouldn’t be racially biased. This belief is extremely naive. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/16 "2016-06-06T20:38:02Z")
At least he has to register as a sex offender. I’m still outraged, but it’s something. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/17 "2016-06-06T20:47:14Z")
What didn’t help was the letter written by the defendant’s father, Dan Turner, which you can read in [this New York Times link.](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/07/us/outrage-in-stanford-rape-case-over-dueling-statements-of-victim-and-attackers-father.html?module=WatchingPortal®ion=c-column-middle-span-region&pgType=Homepage&action=click&mediaId=none&state=standard&contentPlacement=1&version=internal&contentCollection=www.nytimes.com&contentId=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2016%2F06%2F07%2Fus%2Foutrage-in-stanford-rape-case-over-dueling-statements-of-victim-and-attackers-father.html&eventName=Watching-article-click) ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/18 "2016-06-06T20:52:09Z")
“Twenty minutes of action.” I support the first amendment and I’m against capital punishment. But if someone decided to put a bullet in his father’s just for these four words, I’d look the other way. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/19 "2016-06-06T20:55:30Z")
Yeah, somehow I’m not moved by “Aw, my son doesn’t eat big steaks anymore! Waah!”. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668/20 "2016-06-06T21:01:51Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > “Twenty minutes of action.” > > I support the first amendment and I’m against capital punishment. But if someone decided to put a bullet in his father’s just for these four words, I’d look the other way. A person who put a bullet in the father would only be guilty of “one second of action”, which using the father’s logic should be offset by the XX number of years they spent \*not \*committing felonies. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-black-rapist-have-received-such-a-lenient-sentence/756668.md?page=2)