Jurors are reportedly refusing to serve in new cases under the California judge who gave a six-month jail sentence to a college student who sexually assaulted an unconscious woman, amid a social media firestorm over the case.
Brock Turner had Olympic ambitions and a swimming scholarship at Stanford University when he was arrested and accused of raping a woman outside a fraternity party in January 2015.
The rape charges were later dropped, but he was convicted in March on three felony counts: intent to commit rape of an intoxicated or unconscious person, penetration of an intoxicated person and penetration of an unconscious person.
The victim has chosen to remain anonymous.
Politicians and celebrities, including US Vice President Joe Biden, have joined the outpouring of support for the victim.
As activists criticise the lax punishment for Turner, sexual assault experts say the highly publicised outcry has spurred discussion on the state of sexual violence on college campuses nationwide.
Immediately after sentencing on June 2, the 20-year-old Turner began serving his sentence in the Santa Clara County Jail, and could be released within three months if he maintains good behaviour behind bars. He could have faced up to 14 years in state prison.
Prosecutors had sought six years in prison for Turner.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky said the six-month term - followed by three years of probation and life-long registration as a sex offender - was appropriate because of the "severe impact" a longer sentence would have on Turner.
The San Jose Mercury-News reported that Persky, confronted this week by prospective jurors in an unrelated misdemeanour stolen property case, replied to each, "I understand," and excused them from duty.
A social media meme shows Turner's smiling yearbook photo with the message: "My name is Brock. I'm a rapist."
Turner's father has been vilified for a statement to the court on his son's behalf, lamenting that "20 minutes of action" would affect the young man for the rest of his life.
National Sexual Violence Resource Centre spokeswoman Laura Palumbo said she and other activists were overwhelmed and grateful for the massive online response to the story.
"With the dialogue already happening, there's a great opportunity to be creating change in our society," Palumbo said. "As a culture, we need to be identifying the dynamics that allow a case like this to happen. We need to really question what it is in our society that made this event possible, and how are we're going to respond and change that."
The victim's poignant, 12-page statement to the court - describing her anger and depression since the assault and her frustration with Turner's lack of remorse - has been shared extensively on social media timelines.
The online support for the victim shows a growing culture against sexual assault, especially on college campuses, said Palumbo, though she was unsure of the lasting impact.
Palumbo believes the case will spur both lawmakers and colleges to take a closer look at their sexual assault policies, programs and resources.
