Potential jurors refuse to serve judge who sentenced Stanford rapist Brock Turner

Potential jurors are refusing to serve for the judge who gave convicted Stanford University rapist Brock Turner a six-month sentence for his crimes.

According to CBS affiliate KPIX 5, at least 20 jurors refused to serve in Judge Aaron Persky’s courtroom due to his decision to hand the 20-year-old man a six month sentence for the rape of an intoxicated 23-year-old woman.

The prospective jurors, who were being selected for an unrelated misdemeanor stolen property case, cited the judge as a “hardship,” KPIX 5 reported.

READ MORE: Childhood friend, former-counsellor apologize for letters of support for Brock Turner

Citing courtroom sources, San Jose newspaper The Mercury News reported one juror told the judge: “I can’t be here, I’m so upset,” apparently referring to the Turner sentencing.

“I can’t believe what you did,” the newspaper quoted another juror as saying.

2:20 U.S. congressman calls for judge in Stanford rape case to be fired

• U.S. congressman calls for judge in Stanford rape case to be fired
• ‘You took away my worth:’ Excerpts from Brock Turner’s sexual assault victim’s letter
• Stanford rapist Brock Turner’s dad decries son’s ’20 minutes of action’
• Outrage after Stanford rapist gets six months behind bars
• ‘She is someone’: cast of ‘Girls’ creates video to show support for sexual assault victims

Previous Video

Next Video

Judge Persky cited Turner’s clean criminal record and the effect the conviction will have on his life.

The sentence triggered criticism that the star athlete from a privileged background had gotten special treatment. Prosecutors had asked for six years in prison.

An online petition calling the removal Judge Persky has garnered over a million signatures.

READ MORE: ‘Brock is not the victim here’: Open letter to Stanford rapist’s dad

“We the people would like to petition that Judge Aaron Persky be removed from his judicial position for the lenient sentence he allowed in the Brock Turner rape case,” reads the Change.org petition. “Despite a unanimous guilty verdict, three felony convictions, the objections of 250 Stanford students, Jeff Rosen the district attorney for Santa Clara, as well as the deputy district attorney who likened Turner to ‘a predator searching for prey’ Judge Persky allowed the lenient sentence suggested by the probation department.”

WATCH: Stanford rapist Brock Turner’s dad decries son’s ’20 minutes of action’ 

2:38 Stanford rapist Brock Turner’s dad decries son’s ’20 minutes of action’

Turner will only serve three months behind bars, with his expected release date listed as Sept. 2, according to online inmate records. County jail inmates serve 50 per cent of their sentences if they keep a clean disciplinary record.

–with a file from The Associated Press