aaron persky explaining for nearly an hour why he should keep the job. len ramirez explains why we're hearing from the judge now. >> he is facing that recall effort, and it looks according to some polls that he may be recalled. he's spent much of his career, 15-year career on the bench in santa clara county here at the palo alto courthouse is where he hopes to continue to work after this recall election. in order to save his job, he spoke out today. >> reporter: facing news cameras for the first time since the brock turner case erupted into a national firestorm two years ago, judge aaron persky called the recall against him misguided. >> we ask him to follow the rule of law. you have to wonder if the recall is successful, will the public wonder, will judges have the guts to make the hard decisions? >> reporter: judge persky sentenced turner to six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman outside a frat party on the university campus in 2015. critics called the sentence too lenient. they accused him of bias because he was also a stanfor

failing to recall judge persky, because judge persky is biased. voters signed a petition to recall him because they have lost confidence in his ability to be fair." the recall will be held during the statewide elections on june 5th, in santa clara county, philippe djegal, kron four news. let's take a look outside right now... .. chief meteorologist lawrence karnow joins us now with the four zone forecast. lawrence karnow: there were a few more clouds moving across our skies today. low clouds and fog were very stubborn at the coast and kept temperatures much cooler there. it was still sunny elsewhere but the temperatures cooled a little compared to yesterdays highs. you can see some showers moving into northern california today while we see more clouds in the bay area. you can see the storm on the satellite image. it's falling apart as it approaches the coast. it will likely help deepen the marine layer which means more low clouds and fog and coastal drizzle. wednesday will begin mostly cloudy before seeing partial clearing in the afternoon. temper

persky says if he is recalled it might underthe public's confidence whether the judges make tough calls. >> it's whether the public believes that a given judge is willing to risk his reputation, her job, her career, over a difficult decision. >> however, recall organizers and stanford law professor bashel dauper says public confidence needs to be restored. >> judge persky is elected. he is accountable to the people he serves and on june 5th we are confident the voters will vote against him to recall him. >> judge persky says this recall has been difficult for his family. he has sons ages 7 and 9 whom he tried to keep insulated. it's tougher on his wife who is never sure whether neighbors and friends are for or against the recall. in palo alto, david louie, abc 7 news. >>> now we have posted judge persky's entire statement from this morning on the website if you'd like to read it for yourself. abc 7 news.com. click the link on the front panl to view it. >>> 49er linebacker reuben foster entered a not guilty plea to domestic violence charges. abc 7 news was there as foster appeared in cou

persky said he was following guidelines and the ruling was lawful. it made him the target of a recall effort by victim supporters who said the sentence showed bias and was too lenient including stanford law professor.>> what woman would feel comfortable having her sexual assault case adjudicated by judge persky? >> reporter: she called on persky to respond to coats who said she blamed the victim and publicly doubted she wrote her own impact statement.>> we are calling on judge persky to disavow these statements peer>> reporter: he responded. >> i can't comment in any way, shape or form, we have a first amendment and people speaking out.>> reporter: he did just that standing in front of judges in the santa clara county district attorney who support him in the no recall campaign.>> someday you may be on the right side of the law at the wrong side of public opinion and when you step into a courtroom before a judge, you will expect and requests, you will demand a judge who will follow the rule of law.>> reporter: the election less than a week away and bo

this week they sent out ballots to voters asking if they want to recall judge persky. he told me that he plans to defend himself on that issue. >> i would like the public to know that i give due weight and consideration to every person who walks into the courtroom regardless of race, gender, ethnicity. >> reporter: in 2016 judge aaron persky came under fire after he sentenced the former stanford swimmer to six months in jail for sexually assaulting a young woman. a sentence some say was too lenient. >> i stand by my decisions. >> reporter: next month, vote letters decide whether to recall him which is why the judge said he is finally speaking out. the stakes are high. >> the recall if successful, threatens the integrity of our justice system. >> but those leading the campaign to recall him see persky as the threat. >> failing to recall him is a threat to the integrity of the judicial process. so many people saw his lienent decision for brock turner and other offenders. >> reporter: today he talked about the toll the recall efforts have had on his family. >> how many ju

judge aaron persky "...this is a devisive issue judge aaron persky himself was the keynote speaker at a rally opposing his recall from the bench. persky had a message for voters.judge aaron persky/facing recall election "...when you step into a courtroom yo will expect and demand a judge who will follow the rule of law and not public opinion...."judge persky insists he was only following the law when he sentenced former stanford athlete brock turner, convicted of sexually assaulting an intoxicated, unconsious woman, to jail instead of prison.nats (recall supporters rally) recall supporters want voters to stand up on behalf of sexual assault victims says organizer michelle dauber. michelle dauber/organized recall "....we're recalling judge persky because he has a long history of bias in favor of privileged perpetrators in cases of violence against women and we're here to say enough is enough..."recall supporters blasted persky attorney james mcmannis for telling vogue magazine turner's victim was never attacked. opponents are telling voters recalling a sitting judge threatens judicial

the other side says persky should be recalled because of his sentencing in the stanford rape case. and just about an hour and a half ago they held their own rally. >> reporter: the rally from the recalled judge aaron persky campaign turned heated. with a man trying to silence the women speaking. >> you need to back up. >> reporter: stanford professor michelle gober is one of the women leading the recall effort. she says judge persky gave favorable and light sentencing in the rape case against brock turner who was found guilty of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. >> we need to make sure people vote. we want to make sure turnout is high. >> reporter: she is also calling out attorney james mcmanus who is helping lead the effort against the recall. mcmanus claimed in a recent magazine interview that the victim was not attacked. >> his comments have reached a new low with the comments of jim mcmanus and judge persky has been silent for about a week. >> reporter: judge persky can't comment specifically on the case, but here he is earlier this month saying recalling judges sets a

but today persky is speaking out. he says out of concern for what a potential recall vote could mean to other cases and other judges. >> we ask judges to follow the rule of law and not the rule of public opinion. >> reporter: but those fighting to oust him say keeping him on the bench would do more harm. >> it is judge persky's pattern of bias in favor of privileged perpetrators of crimes against women, particularly college athletes that have caused the public to lose faith in the judicial system. >> reporter: today persky also talked about the toll the recall efforts have had on his family. >> how many judges want to drive down the streets of their neighborhood with their two children in the car and see a lawn sign, their father's picture next to a mug shot. >> reporter: he says the california commission rejected claims of bias. >>> just in to our newsroom. former governor george duke may jan has died. he served two terms and was elected in '82 and '86, became known as the iron duke and built his career on fighting c

-- "persky" busca mandar un mensaje a los votantes antes de las primarias del 5 de junio - fecha en la que se podra decidir si el juez permanecer en su cargo. -- activistas reunieron firmas para destituir al juez persky y les tom dos aÑos para llevar el caso a la boleta electoral. -- y este martes se podra saber si el distrito del agua del valle de santa clara apoya la construccin de dos tneles gemelos propuestos por el gobernador de california, jerry brown. -- de ser aprobada, esta podra provocar un aumento en las tarifas del servicio del agua para residentes al sur de la baha. -- los tneles seran construidos en el delta del ro sacramento-san joaqun. en washington d.c., el presidente donald trump se apresta a revelar su decisin sobre si estados unidos se retirar del acuerdo nuclear de irn. el anuncio llegara a un aÑo de deliberaciones y negociaciones en las que trump se ha enfrentado con algunos de sus asesores ms cercanos y con pases aliados. mientras tanto, el presidente iran lanz una fuerte advertencia al gobierno de trump, si decide abandonar el acuerdo nuclear, firmado en el 2015

failing to recall judge persky, because judge persky is biased.ion to recall him because they have lost confidence in his ability to be fair." the recall will be held during the statewide elections on june 5th, in santa clara county, philippe djegal, kron four news.news. ( darya ) in the south bay... a police officer is filing a 6- million dollar claim for damages against the city of san jose. this is an update to a story we first brought you yesterday morning. officer nabil haidar has worked for the san jose police department for 21 years. he says early on, his colleages began to make fun of his race and religion... but he never reported the incidents. two decades later, officer haidar filed a complaint after he says he was ridiculed during a meeting in front of a commander.... and harassed by a fellow officer. he explained to kron4 why he did not report the behavior sooner. < "just you have to let it go, young officer, you have aspirations to become something, to move on, to move into specialized units, you don't want to be that guy">( darya ) t

aaron persky is fighting to keep his job after his controversial sentence in a sexual assault case. kpix 5 betty yu reports the judge says he did nothing wrong. betty? >> reporter: liz, judge persky says he is speaking out because of recall efforts, threatening the rule of law. if this campaign is successful, he would be the first california judge recalled from office in 86 years. >> i get an e-mail that said dear judge persky, how does it feel to be the most hated man in america? >> reporter: superior court judge, aaron persky, describing the backlash he has faced for two years, since sentencing former stanford university swimmer, brock turner, to six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman outside a fraternity house in 2015. the short jail sentence sparked national outrage for months. stanford law professor, michelle dauper is leading the million dollar campaign to recall judge persky. more than 90,000 signatures were collected in santa clara county, where the vote will take place. >> it is about this judge, but also about the fact women have had enough of havi

packed full of students, some of whom are going to be voting very soon, and they say that that judge persky recall issue is a key topic on campus this week. [ applause ] >> reporter: tonight on the stanford campus, tarana burke speaking to students on the origins of the "me too" movement, and she was asked about the effort to recall judge aaron persky. he was the one who sentenced former stanford swimmer brock turner to six months in jail back in 2016. turner was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman outside of a party on campus. >> that was something that was very disappointing to me. like someone coming to stanford is kind of scary. >> reporter: burke addressed the recall vote generally, saying she believes survivors are a constituency that can vote to ensure communities are less

. >> persky is the judge handling the case of brock turner, the swimmer. >> reporter: aaron persky iseak publicly at this private event. it'll be the first time he will talk about the recall against him since the recall began two years ago. judge aaron persky in the judge of aaron turner. he sentenced turner to six months in jail. that sentence sparked anger across the country because many believe it was too lenient. the public outcry led to a recall of pesky. supporters turned in the necessary signatures and put that recall on the upcoming june 5 ballot. . persky is expected to answer questions about this for the first time today. the group is a group that opposes the recall of judge persky. they say it makes judges less independent and more easily influenced by popular opinion and politics. they said if people thought the sentence was too lenient the way to correct that is by changing the law not punishing the law. because the group that opposes the recall argued that persky followed the guidelines. 10:30 here in palo alto. we will be inside and have an update what is said, what is

hold a rally in front of the law office of james mcmahon muss who is persky's campaign lawyer. a no recall rally will be held at 12:15 in front of the county recorder's office in downtown san jose. we understand persky may attend and speak at it was all sparked by a controversial six-month sentence that he gave brock turner following his conviction of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. >>> a pair of bills to protect people from wildfires caused by power equipment are headed for a vote. one requires detailed procedures for handling disasters like wildfires. the other measure would require the companies to cut power to lines at risk of being knocked down by strong winds. last week cal fire said trees coming into contact with power lines caused four major powers in nevada counties. the official cause of last year's north bay wildfires has not been determined. >>> are you waiting for someone to discover your great idea? wait no more. today could be your lucky day if

both looking to replace persky.. (ken) more than one-point-four million californians have already voted in next week's state primary. election officials mailed more than 11 and a half million ballots to registered voters. traditionally, only voters who request mail-in ballots would get them. this year, five counties decided to experiment by sending mail in ballots to all their voters. officials say it's still too early to tell if the move will increase voter turnout. (pam) coming up: after showing you a picture of needles on a bart train seat- first here at ten ... now, the rider who sent it to us .. tells kron 4 exactly what happened. (ken)plus: we have learned an apartment construction project fire in the east bay was arson. we'll show you the all new video of a suspect. (pam) looking to buy tickets for the n-b-a finals? a warning fans need to hear on what watch out for when looking for seats. we all know guys like gavin... boasting. overselling his achievements. making false claims. as lieutenant governor, he skip

the public outcry led to a recall of aaron persky. voters will decide next month whether he is forced to step off the bench and a recall election. he says the stakes are high not only for him but for the judicial system as a whole. he was appointed by governor gray davis and has been a judge since then. california voters have had the right to recall superior court judges for more than a century. aaron persky says it should be for cases of incompetence or misconduct. his sentencing decision was within state probation and department -- probation department guidelines. although it was unpopular, there was nothing improper or unethical about it. the recall has had a chilling effect on judicial independence. >> judges need to think about the facts of the case and the legal laws that apply. they shouldn't be thinking, who's going to hate me if i decide one way or the other. >> reporter: he talked about how he was surprised by the backlash following the turner sentencing. when asked if he would make the same decision again, he said he can't

. >>> there are dueling rallies to remove judge persky from the bench. 12:15 today supporters of judge persky are holding a no recall valley at the santa clara offices. supporters of the recall petition are rallying outside the santa fe law offices of persky's attorney. that's where we find jesse gary. jesse. >> reporter: guys good morning to you. opponents started gathering here about a half hour ago. the rally is expected to start but some of the people are stuck in traffic so they're delayed just a little bit. and i want to get my word in with michelle. michelle real quick. >> one minute. one minute. >> so she said one minute which means no. they've come here because they are upset about some of the comments made by persky's legal team. that legal team works inside the building that you see here up above us at the old kqed building. the old ritter building. they're holding this rally outside. all right now the rally is kind of starting a little bit. michelle why do this today? it was all spur bid an article in vogue magazine. >> that's right. last wee

persky argues public opinion should not sway the court. on june 5th, santa clara county will decide if he should keep his job. >> it's about accountability and holding someone to the standard that they were elected by your constituency to represent. >> reporter: at stanford, ian cull, nbc bay area news. >>> we have new details this evening about a violent hammer attack near santa cruz. a gofundme page has been set up to help pay for medical bills for a teenage boy slipping in and out of a coma. that boy, alex, was one of three teenager attacked over the holiday weekend at a house in aptos. police say a group of masked men entered the garage where the boys were sleeping, beat them with the hammer, stole things from the garage, and then drove off. >> right now, one of the victims is unable to even talk in the hospital in critical condition. the other two are -- have pretty bad injuries as well. so some of the information that we were able to obtain right now is very limited. >> any clues would be appreciated. investigators have no solid lead

judge persky is facing a well- organized recall effort.o keep his job and for judicial independence. kpix 5 news' linn is here -- religion ramirez is here on the -- lynn ramirez is here on the judge breaking his silence. >> reporter: for the first time since the national fire storm two years ago judge aaron persky called the efforts against him misguided. >> we ask to follow the rule of law and not the rule of public opinion. you have to wonder if the recall is successful, will the public wonder, will judges have the guts to make the hard decisions? >> reporter: judge persky sentenced brock turner to six months in jail for sexual assaulting an unconscious woman outside a frat party on the university cam news 2016. the -- campus in 2016. he was said to be too bias because he was an alumni. he expected some criticism, but -- >> i was surprised at the amount of backlash. i am sitting in my chambers and get an email that says dear judge persky, how does it feel to be the most hated man in america. >> reporter: he says the last two years have b

students says persky's sentence was too lenient. why speak up now. >> i really think judges should typically zip it and take the heat, take the criticism. it's only when you get to a point where there's a very real chance that the recall will be successful, it gets serious for me. >> reporter: friends and supporters of the victim in the turner case collected petition signatures to recall persky. the election is four weeks away. persky says if he's recalled it might undermine the public confidence that judges will make the right calls. >> whether the public will believe that, whether they'll believe that a given judge is willing to risk his reputation, her job, her career over a difficult decision. >> reporter: however recall organizer and stanford law professor says in persky's case confidence needs to be restored. >> judge persky is elected. he is accountable to the people he serves, and on june 5th wee confident that the voters will vote against him to recall him. >> reporter: judge persky says this recall has been difficult for h

judge persky ramped up today. live in san jose with what happened in these rallies. >> reporter: well, here at the santa clara center, he aimed his comments directly at voters after he stayed silent for much of the fight. >> but he is silent no more. >> please welcome judge aaron persky. >> reporter: he ordered judges and the district attorney, who like others criticized his sentencing of brock turner but is against the recall. he acknowledged the mixed feelings he gets. he wanted them all to think of this. >> someday you may be on the right side of the walling and the wrong side of public opinion. when you step into a courtroom, before a judge, you will expect, you will request, you will demand a judge who will follow the rule of law. >> the judge said afterwards, he wants judicial independence to remain the focus. >> the issue is too important to turn it into a back and forth about tactics. >> but advocates say they're angry over the tactics of supporters who have attacked the credibility of the attack victim an

judge aaron persky "...this is a devisive issue judge aaron persky himself was the keynote speaker atbench. persky had a message for voters.judge aaron persky/facing recall election "...when you step into a courtroom yo will expect and demand a judge who will follow the rule of law and not public opinion...."judge persky insists he was only following the law when he sentenced former stanford athlete brock turner, convicted of sexually assaulting an intoxicated, unconsious woman, to jail instead of prison.nats (recall supporters rally) recall supporters want voters to stand up on behalf of sexual assault victims says organizer michelle dauber. michelle dauber/organized recall "....we're recalling judge persky because he has a long history of bias in favor of privileged perpetrators in cases of violence against women and we're here to say enough is enough..."recall supporters blasted persky attorney james mcmannis for telling vogue magazine turner's victim was never attacked. opponents are telling voters recalling a sitting judge threatens judicial independence. d.a. jeff rosen.jeff ros

the man in the cross rars judge persky shook hands and thanked supporters trying to defeat the recall. among them district attorney jeff rosen who was initially ultimates about the sentence but sees judicial independence, the reason why he is against the recall. >> to recall a judge for one bad decision is something that would have dramatically negative effects throughout our criminal justice system. >> judge persky sized up how he sees the recall going. >> my gut feeling is it's close. i'm cautiously optimistic. we'll go until the very end getting the word out there and getting voters to stop and think about this. >> while voters serve as a de facto jury determining the judges fate, the ballot next tuesday will contain the names of tu candidates both women running to fill the seat if the judge is recalled. ? san jose, david louie, abc 7 news. >>> as the nba finals, the basketball version of groun day. >> is it may not be as spunsful as drama fild b thas what you got music and mfor.ovies >> he has a point. we look at the pros and cons of the matchup whether a drem team is really a goo

>> judge persky and -- >> reporter: michele dauber one -- lost the recall effort.pointed to turner's clean criminal record and the recommendation. prosecutors argued for six years in state prison. >> judge persky has failed women in a very significant way, and the voters are going to hold him accountable for that. >> reporter: the case sparked outrage in stanford and around the country after the victim's statement went viral. the woman was intoxicated and unconscious when she was assaulted on the stanford campus in 2015. >> many eyes around the country are going to be on santa clara county as a model for how to respond to bias against women in the legal system. >> reporter: in response to the tourniquet, governor jerry brown signed legislation that would require longer sentences for those who assault unconscious victims. persky says he has no regrets on how he handles the case and says he has no plans to quit his job. >> i'm fighting for the broader message, which is, let's protect our criminal justice system. let's keep politics out of the courtroom. >> reporter:

failing to recall judge persky, because judge persky is biased.he recall will be held during the statewide elections on june 5th, in santa clara county, philippe djegal, kron four news. ( james ) immigration is a big issue for voters in california. the democrats in the governor's race are áagainst building a border wall. while the republicans want to overturn the state's sanctuary law. <"what makes california great is that we don't tolerate our diversity, we truly celebrate that diversity its great. we truly celebrate our diversity we are a state of asylum were a state that's 27 percent foreign born. were a state thats brought 112-thousand refugees. the fact of the matter is these people are contributing to the economy, we gotta work with them, we gotta celebrate them and their work. we must enforce federal immigration law and as your next governor i will make sure we do exactly that. immigration is a federal issue, this is defined by the us constitution.its not about grandmothers being pulled out of their homes this is about ms 13 or other people

persky supporters argue it would set a bad precedent.f voters approve the recall, judge persky would be the first california judge recalled from office in 86 years. the judge is set to hold a news conference at 10:30 this morning and promising to answer questions from reporter reporte. this has been watched closely around the country, especially now in light of the me too movement. live in palo alto, roz plater for "today in the bay." >> very interesting to see what he has to say. thanks, roz. >> developing right now, the investigation continues into crash last night that injured two people in eastern contra costa county. this happened at brentwood boulevard and sellers avenue. authorities say those two cars collided at that intersection. this is near the area where four migrant workers died in a head on crash 14 years ago. you may remember that. that crash happened on nearby highway 4. >> developing this morning, at 6:36, investigators will be back in the north bay today looking into two suspicion deaths. two people found dead in a home

should persky be recalled? >> they are given a silent nod of assent to my rapist and reinforcing the destructive beliefs that i was in any way to blame. >> reporter: those against the recall to remove a sitting judge who followed the law could undermine the judiciary. >> it's a war against the judiciary. it's not going to stop. >> i think what needed to happen was for the law to change which we have now changed it. >> reporter: now two factions are making a final push to convince all who listen their view is the right view. >> given public backlash over an opinion, should a judge reconsider? well, as i have explained, public opinion can't play a part in a judge's decision- making. >> reporter: will public opinion determine if judge persky keeps his job? we'll know on june 5th when voters in santa clara county cast their ballots. in the san jose studio, i'm jesse gary, ktvu fox 2 news. >>> we'll be hosting live coverage of results on 8 to 10 p.m. on ktvu plus and at 10:00 and 11:00 newscasts on june 5th. >>> the

judge persky insists he was judge persky insis he was only following the law when he sentenced formerrd athlete brock turner.. who was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconsious woman... to 6 months in jail. now persky has a message for voters. <"...when you step into a courtroom yo will expect and demand a judge who will follow the rule of law and not public opinion...."">( darya ) recall supporters blasted persky's attorney for telling vogue magazine that turner's victim was never attacked. opponents say recalling a sitting judge threatens judicial independence. ( darya ) coming up in the next hour... bart just expanded into antioch... but riders already have one big problem. ( darya ) and after the break... their days may be numbered... as california looks to get rid of plastic straws. ( mabrisa ) and i am tracking your bay area forecast. no major hot spots. bay bridge wb 80 is less then 30 min from the maze to sf. (ácommercialá)(áábreakáá) (áábreakáá)(ácommercialá) maze to sf. highs will be in the 60s on thursday except for some upper 50s at the coast and lower 70s in the warm

should persky keep his seat or be sent packing? >> every time a victim is blamed, they are giving a solemn nod to assent to my rapist and that i was to blame. >> those against the recall say removing a sile judge who follows the law could undermine our system of law. >> a war on the judiciary and it's not going to stop. >> he made a lawful decision. i think it was the wrong one and i think that what needed to happen was for the law to change, which we have now changed it. >> and now they are making a final push to convince all who listen their view is the right view. >> given public backlash over an opinion should a judge reconsider? well, as i have explained, public opinion can't play a part in a judge's decision making. >> now the question will public opinion determine whether the judge keeps his job? well, we will get an answer to that on june 5th when voters cast their ballots. live in the san jose studio this afternoon, jesse gary. >> i know you mentioned the judge was unapologetic. has he said whether or not he regrets his de

should persky be recalled? >> every time they do this they are giving a silent nod of assent to my rapist and reinforcing the destructive beliefs that i was in any way to blame. >> reporter: those against the recall to remove a sitting judge who followed the law could undermine the judiciary. >> it's a war against the judiciary. it's not going to stop. >> he played a lawful decision. i think it was the wrong one. and i think that what needed to happen was for the law to change which we have now changed it. >> reporter: now two factions are making a final push to convince all who listen their view is the right view. >> given public backlash over an opinion, should a judge reconsider? well, as i have explained, public opinion can't play a part in a judge's decision- making. >> reporter: will public opinion determine if judge persky keeps his job? we'll know on june 5th when voters in santa clara county cast their ballots. in the san jose studio, i'm jesse gary, ktvu fox 2 news. >>> a judge has thrown out a 2016 c

today persky opened up about his fight to stay on the bench.will decide whether or not he sould be recalled. persky has faced mounting pressure to step down or be removed since issuing what critics call a light sentence in the brock turner sexual assault case at stanford. but the judge says he does not believe his sentencing deserves a recall. (ken) persky went on to say he believes judicial recalls should be reserved for misconduct by a judge or incompetence. (pam) a sacramento man believes 'fate' put him at the right place, at the right time at the rainbow market on sunday afternoon. manny cota says, he found a nine- year-old girl in tears, after she was reportedly forced into a vehicle. cota'

persky said he was following sentencing guidelines and the ruling was lawful. the target of a recall effort by victim supporters who say the sentence showed bias and was too lenient, including stanford law professor michelle dauber. >> what woman would feel comfortable or safe having her sexual assault case adjudicated by judge persky? >> we're here today to call on judge persky to disavow these statements. >> i can't comment on the cases in any way, shape, or form. and we have a first amendment. we have people speaking out. i speak for myself. >> reporter: and he did just that, standing in front of a row of judges and the santa clara county district attorney who support him and the no recall campaign. >> vote no on this recall. give our judges the strength, the courage to follow the rule of law. >> reporter: the election is less than a week away now and both sides say they'll continue to turn up the heat to try to persuade undecided voters. in san jose, len ramirez, kpix 5. >>> fighting for cruelty-free cosmetics. a new bill here in california ultimately aims

persky reporters argue it would be a bad precedent and threaten judicial independence. if voters approve it, judge persky would be the first california judge to be recalled from office in 86 years. now, this is being closely watched around the country especially in light of the me too development, again, judge persky set to have a news conference at 10:30 this morning and will answer reporters questions and get the message he wants to get out to the voter and we'll bring that to you later this morning. i'm roz plater, nbc bay area news. >>> thank you, roz. and developing now for you out of sonoma county, deputies are trying to figure out how two people and a dog ended up dead inside a petaluma home. their deaths are suspicious this morning and investigators found that couple after doing a welfare check at their home in roplar road. pete suratos is live in petaluma. what are neighbors saying about the victims? >> reporter: good morning, to you, marcus, neighbors told our crews that they believe the couple was in the 50s and lived in the home 20 years and mostly kept to t

. >> reporter: judge aaron persky remained largely silent as campaign to remove him from the bench builtver nearly two years now. now in his only television interview he defended the send fence that has been widely condemned. >> if a judge is thinking in the back of his or her mind how is this going to look? how will it look on social media? will i be villified on cable news? that's the wrong avenue. we can't do that weechl shouldn't do that. >> reporter: his sentencing of brock turner meant the former swimmer walked free after three months in county jail for sexually assaulting an uncon sthus wom -- uncon sthus woman. >> you did have an idea before you passed sentence it would be a controversial sentence? >> yes, and by my ethical constraints by the rule of law, i had to completely tune that out. >> reporter: in court, turner heard the word of his victim. a powerful statement, widely shared on social media. you took away my worth, my privacy, my confidence, she told turn ter. i don't want my body any more, i was terrified of it. >> reporter: if this case were you before today, the meto

persky remained silent the past two years. he can't talk specifics about the turner case because it's on appeal. but believes judicial independence is at stake. >> when public opinion influences a juror's decision or a judge's decision it corrupts the rule of law. this recall if successful will make it harder for judges to keep that promise. >> judge%cy says he understands why sad advocates for victims of sexual assault are passionate about tough sentences. he thinks that energy is being mischannelled. >> let's use that passion not for judicial recall. let's use it for construtive, productive purpose >> persky who has been on the bench 4 years acknowledged he thinks about the victim in the turner case but must focus on the law. >> i do. i think about it all the time. >> however, recall organizers say judges also need to be accountable. >> judge persky is elected. he is accountable to the people he serves. and on june 5th we are confident the voters will vote against him to recall him. >> judge%cy case the recall has been diffi

persky argued the petition drive was unconstitutional because it wasn't overseen by the secretary of state, but the courts rejected that argument. >>> traffic is flowing freely in downtown concord again. it took a week, though, for crews to clear debris from willow pass road and concord boulevard after a massive fire last tuesday. that blaze gutted a luxury apartment complex under construction on galindo. investigators are examining the debris, trying to determine what started that fire. >>> it's not just a watch. it's a way to track your life. tonight a teenager tells us her apple watch saved her life. it notified her that her heart rate was in the danger zone. a short while later, she was diagnosed with kidney failure. nbc bay area's terry mcsweeney joins us with her story. sounds remarkable, terry. >> reporter: it really is. not a lot of people buy an apple watch thinking of it as a life saving device. a young woman down in florida will tell you that's exactly what it is. it cost anywhere from $300 to $1,000. tonight a family in florida will tell you a small price to pay for the l

jesse, it looks like judge persky -- >> he just started talking. you can see him and see why he is speaking out for the first time. unfortunately, we have to disconnect from our podium microphone. this rally started 10 minutes ago. it is pretty well attended with people mostly here against the recall and they are holding loose signs that say no recall on judge persky. let me see if i can move a little closer and maybe you can hear something. >> it failed as it should have. this recall should fail. >> reporter: he's talking about domestic partnership laws and how independent judges are in the position to make and decide on cases that are at that time or at the current time unpopular, but they have to have the freedom to do that. those urging county residents to vote no say this is a misguided effort. it will endanger the independence of the judiciary. >> reporter: jeff rosen has been speaking out against the recall effort for months despite initially condemning the judge. two years ago he sentence brock turner to six months in jail after the stamfor

voters in santa clara county will decide if judge aaron persky, a sitting judge, should be recalled. if they, groups both for and against the recall held rallies in san jose. >> this is about letting victims have peace, justice, and to be supported and to know that the community stands behind them. >> judge persky has been criticized since 2016 when he sentenced former sanford swimmer brock turner to six months in jail after he was convicted of sexual assault. his critics say that move perpetuate victim blaming. it also put that recall measure on the june 6 ballot. judge persky is telling people to vote no. >> we need to empower judges to follow the rule of law, not the role of public opinion. >> of public opinion can't play a part in a judge's decision maker -- making. >> they say it removing a sitting judge who followed the law would undermine our system of law. both sides will continue to make their please ahead of the june 5 vote. >>> you can join us on election night right here on ktvu plus. we will have live coverage of results from 8-10 pm on ktvu plus. and then we will have t

today judge persky opened up about his fight to stay on the bench. in one month---voters will decide whether or not he deserves to be recalled. persky has faced mounting pressure to step down or be removed since issuing what critics call a light sentence in the brock turner sexual assault case. but the judge says he does not believe the sentencing deserves a recall. (grant) persky went on to say he believes judicial recalls should be reserved for misconduct by a judge or incompetence. (grant) a federal district judge says jose garcia zarate faces an uphill battle proving federal gun charges were brought solely because of politics... that judge says he's skeptical of the claim that garcia zarate is a t

as voters in the south bay will decide whether to recall superior court judge aaron persky...ht hear his message for voters... (grant) and after the break... tomorrow is game one of the nba finals.. tonight we'll tell you about the potential dangers of purchasing tickets if you plan on going to the game... we all know guys like gavin... boasting. overselling his achievements. making false claims. as lieutenant governor, he skipped many of his duties, saying the job was "so dull," he only shows up to work at the state capitol "like one day a week, tops." the same gavin who, as mayor, "split town" during a massive oil spill and "jetted off..to hawaii." gavin's not gonna work... as governor. (grant) "roaracle" will be packed tomorrow night as lebron and the cleveland cavaliers take on steph curry and the warriors for game one of the nba finals.... both teams met with the media today... and the dubs are looking for back-to-back titles...and three world championships in the last four years. and they are overwhelming favorites to win it all again this year. both teams praticed at or

none of these criteria applies to judge persky." also leads a group supporting judge persky, we spoke to her last august. >> recalling him would be a violation of what we want in california which is independence of the judiciary. >> reporter: threatens the rule of law. >> it threatens the rule of law. >> reporter: michele dauber who spearheads the effort disagrees. >> this is a democracy, and the judges in california under our constitution are accountable to the voters they serve. >> reporter: dauber cites three other cases where the judge issued favorable rulings to college athletes accused of sex crimes and violence against women. >> judge persky has shown over and over again that he has poor judgment, and we believe they will vote him out on june 5th. >> reporter: a majority of people here in santa clara county appear to agree with dauber. in march, a poll by cbs san francisco station kpix found that 56% of voters wanted judge persky recalled, just 29% said they wanted him to remain on the bench. john? >> not good numbers for the

voters will pass their verdict on judge persky, june 5th. jeff. off awe john blackstone from l.a. bureau. thank you. >>> utah became the first state to allow free range parenting. supporters say it gives parents far more latitude to raise kids as they see fit. jamie yuccas take is a look. >> you guys ready to go? >> when melissa butler send guy and sammy off to school they walk alone. >> ultimately i decided my parenting decisions are not going to be based on, fear. >> butler is no longer concerned because utah's free range parenting law, prevents parents from being prosecuted for alug kids to roam on their own. >> why would you need to put a law like this into place? >> a good question. >> utah state representative brad daw. >> nobody wants to see a kid abducted. but everybody wants a kid to be a kid. how do we find the balance? >> the idea can be traced become to something former new york columnist, wrote a decade ago. she let her 9-year-old son ride the new york city subway and got labeled world's worst mom. >> if you are neglecting a child that's awful. you've will be prosecut

judge aaron persky was heavily criticized for handing down the six month sentence to swimmer brought turner, who was found guilty of sexual assault. this morning at 9:30 am, supporters of the recall petition will be rallying outside the san jose law officers of aaron persky's lawyer. the group says aaron persky's lawyer has been trying to blame turner's victor for what happened, saying she was drinking and not actually attacked. at 12:15 pm today, supporters of judge aaron persky will hold a new recall rally at the santa clara offices on west heading street. the supporters include judges and attorneys who say using public pressure to remove a sitting judge threatens the independence of the judiciary. >>> today a berkeley environmental group will once again make its claim to drain hetch hetchy reservoir. the group called restored hetch hetchy says the reservoir violates the state 's constitution provision. environmentalists say storing water there is not reasonable. they want it drained. they say the valley can then return to its natural splendor. san francisco, which owns the system,

please welcome judge aaron persky. >> we must follow the rule of law. we must not follow the rule of public opinion. we cannot. >> reporter: the judge joined supporters including other superior court judges and district attorney jeff rosen who liked others criticized persky's sentencing of brock turn but is against the recall. >> what needed to happen is to change the law so that the next brock turner will go to prison, and the law was changed. >> reporter: he acknowledged the feelings he gets. >> some day you might be on the right side of the law and the wrong side of public opinion. when you step into a courtroom before a judge, you will expect, you will request, you will demand a judge who will follow the rule of law. >> reporter: but recall advocates say they're angry over the tactics of some persky supporters who advocates say have attacked the credibility of the assault victim. >> what won would feel comfortable or safe having her sexual assault case adjudicated by judge persky after these kinds of statements has come from his campaign and he has

embattled santa clara county judge aaron persky, is breaking his silence.(ken) today judge persky opened up about his fight to stay on the bench. in one month---voters will decide whether or not he deserves to be recalled. persky has faced mounting pressure to step down or be removed since issuing what critics call a light sentence in the brock turner sexual assault case. but the judge says he does not believe the sentencing deserves a recall. (ken) persky went on to say he believes judicial recalls should be reserved for misconduct by a judge or incompetence. (pam) beginning thursday -- some of the people who are homeless in oakland, will be moving out of their tents and into community cabins. this will be

. >> reporter: judge aaron persky is fighting for his job. facing a recall campaign by critics who say he treated sexually -- sexual assault to lightly when he sentenced brock turner two years ago. >> i understand the passion that drives the recall. i think that passion is genuine, i think that mechanism that's been chosen, judicial recall, is misguided. i just think it's the wrong outlet for that desire for change. >> reporter: in an interview, prescott said he's fighting the recall to protect judicial independence. >> think about the next time if you're in a courtroom. what do you expect of that judge? do you expect the judge to put their finger to the wind and kept public opinion in your case? or do you expect the judge to focus on the facts of your

today, judge persky is in the news. he is facing a ton of criticism when he handed down what some call a lenient sentence. live in san jose with the recall effort that's ramping up, robert? >> reporter: that's right. the judge joined supporters for a long-awaited public appeal. he acknowledged the recall had taken a toll on his family and even some friendships but says staying silent wasn't helping. >> but he is silent no more. please welcome judge aaron persky. >> we must follow the rule of law. we must not follow the rule of public opinion. we cannot. >> reporter: the judge joined supporters including other superior court judges who criticized the sentencing of brock turner but is against recall the. >> what needed to happen was to change the law so the next brock turner would go to prison. the law was changed. >> he acknowledged the mixed feeling he gets. >> someday you may be on the right side of the law, on the wrong side of public opinion. when you step into a courtroom before a judge, you will expect, you will re

critics say it was far too lenient and they are targeting persky.e says to avoid attention he's using the back door of the courthouse to come and go. it's the same door the inmates use. >> i accept responsibility for every decision that i've made as a judge. but what i cannot accept are the downstream consequences, the collateral damage, if you will, to the next case. to the next judge's decision. to even the next juror's decision. this notion, the power of social media, the power of politics, if it affects jurors, then where are we? we've completely corrupted our system. >> the successful petition to put persky's recall ballot got more than 1 million signatures. >>> it's been a very rough day on the markets this morning. the dow industrial plunged 450 points. nasdaq down 60. this is there, you can see a live picture of the big board down 465. this after some political unrest in italy and some concerns about whether italy will continue to use the euro. >>> well, if you haven't seen this video from maryland, you may want to look up now. we're getting