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California Attorney General Kamala Harris Speaks Out About Short Sentence Handed Down to Stanford Rapist Brock Turner.

Kamala Harris

California Attorney General and Senate candidate Kamala Harris becomes the latest public figure to weigh in on the Stanford rape case and the rather short sentence handed down to rapist Brock Turner.

“It was not respected, and she was not given dignity in the process,” said Harris.

The shocking news that convicted rapist Brock Turner would only serve 6 months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, because a longer sentence would have a “severe impact” on him, quickly became national news. Recent reports that Turner would actually only be serving half of that sentence has sparked even more outrage.

Harris, who will face Democratic U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez in the Nov. 8 Senate election, is one of many politicians who has spoken out about Turner case. Vice President Joe Biden, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and wife Chirlane have also expressed support for Turner’s victim. A growing list of celebrities have also weighed on on the case, and used the situation as an opportunity to advocate for victims of sexual assault.

“When someone is facing a 14-year (maximum sentence), which is what I believe was the exposure in this case, there has got to be extraordinarily mitigating facts to reduce it down to what I believe ended up being six months,” Harris said. “And I don’t know if the facts actually merit that kind of mitigation.”

Judge Aaron Persky, who handed down Turner’s sentence has come under heavy scrutiny, with many calling for his removal. According to several recent reports, this isn’t the first time that Persky has called for leniency for college athletes who have committed sexual assault.

According to Santa Clara County, California sheriff’s spokesman Sergeant James Jensen, Turner is due to be released in September.

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