BROCK TURNER

The sexual assault of an unconscious Chanel Miller (Emily Doe) was a terrible crime. And Brock Turner’s lenient sentence was unjust and unacceptable. 

Chanel Miller’s powerful witness statement was heard by millions, sparking a national conversation about campus sex crimes, acquaintance rape and assaults on incapacitated victims. 

But the law that allowed Brock Turner to get a slap on the wrist remained on the books. 

So I worked with Assembly- member Evan Low and changed the law. Now, the next Brock Turner will go to prison. 

RAPE KIT PROCESSING 

A few years back, Supervisor Cindy Chavez called to ask me about our county’s compliance with Rape Kit testing, so I looked into the matter. Our numbers were pretty good. 

But Cindy and I decided we could do better. And we did do better.

Today, our county is a national model for rape kit testing. That means Santa Clara County rape victims are more likely to get justice than anywhere else in the United States. 

SPOUSAL RAPE

Believe it or not, until the 1970s, if a husband raped his own wife it was not considered a crime. 

Reformers changed the law in several states. However, California continued to give kid glove treatment to perpetrators of spousal rape. 

Last year I worked with women’s rights activists and legislators on a bill to equalize the punishment for rape, regardless of marital status.

In October, the Governor signed the bill. Now it’s the law.