Justice

The Letter Brock Turner's Ex-Girlfriend Wrote to the Judge

June 15th 2016

The court documents for the Brock Turner case are available, which means that every day, more and more letters of support on Turner's behalf to presiding Judge Aaron Persky are being shared online. The latest letter to draw criticism comes from Lydia Pocisk, Turner's ex-girlfriend.

Pocisk, who refers to Brock Turner as "my dearest friend" in the first sentence, dated Turner in junior and senior year of high school, and the two have known each other for a total of eight years.

Here are some excerpts from this letter, posted on The Los Angeles Times:

"In this time, I came to know a kind, loving, respectful, relaxed, silently hilarious, and determined individual. He was determined to be the best he could be in all he did. I say this with 100% confidence because I remember a conversation with him a few years back. I asked why he had gotten so good at everything he did, and his answer surprised me. He simply said, 'It's not as fun to not be successful or not work hard.'"

After gushing over Turner's abilities to "work hard," she describes her relationship with the now convicted sex offender.

"He ensured that I was okay and happy in all that I was doing, he helped me learn a lot about myself and about the person I could be. He never once pressured me into any situation or any decision that I didn't feel true to myself in. I would often get caught up in other people's situations and he helped me see that I did not need to do that, the only person that I ever need to please in life is myself. He truly made me a better person."

Pocisk included information about their dates.

"Much of the time I spent with Brock was simply relaxing. We would be over at one another's homes and would simply sit on the couch and watch TV or get a bit of homework done. Our date nights often included going out to dinner and a movie followed by a trip to get ice cream, just simple things that made us both very happy. [...] Through all of this, I was able to get to know Brock as my best friend that I probably will ever have in my whole life."

She mentions how "calm, funny, respective [sic], and often quiet" Turner is, then finally moves on to why she's writing the letter in the first place.

"As I was in the courtroom alongside the whole Turner family, I was astonished and angered to hear the person that District Attorney Alaleh Kianerci described to the courtroom. The person she believed she was describing was one she wished to, and not the kind-hearted, relaxed, and caring Brock that he actually is. She used Brock's most defining qualities, of being a relaxed or 'chill' person against him in a matter that was in her favor and demoted Brock."

Note: Brock Turner's "best friend" says his most defining quality about who he is as a person is that he is "relaxed" and "chill."

"I have seen first hand how this has destroyed him."

She continued ...

"The fact I am even writing this letter is something I never saw coming, or could ever imagine, this in itself I believe to speak numbers. You would think a close friendship of 8 years could predict something like this happening, but the type of person Brock is could never deserve this nor do anything he has been convicted of in a thousand of his lives. I have never been so angry with God in all of my life, for instilling such pain on such an undeserving soul. I will forever wish the memory of having to write this goes away, I pray everyday for only the best for my dear friend and I live every day in fear of June 2nd, 2016, for the best guy I have ever gotten to know may be taken away from me."

Several the letters written by Turner's friends and family members argued in letters that he deserved leniency on the grounds that he was a good person.

Twitter users weren't buying those arguments.

 

Share your opinion

Have you been following the Brock Turner case?

No 10%Yes 90%