Rape sentence outrage results in petition to recall Boulder judge

Just days after the scandal broke, 40,000 people have already signed an online petition to remove a judge who handed down a lenient sentence to a convicted rapist.

Earlier in the week, Judge Patrick Butler sentenced 22-year-old Austin Wilkerson to just two years of supervised probation.

Wilkerson, a former college student, admitted in court to raping a CU Boulder coed in 2014, a woman who was unconscious after a day of St. Patrick’s Day drinking.

“It’s a pretty easy way out, i think,” says CU student Jessica Westphal, “If we make murderers go to prison, we should make rapists go to prison”

Now, there is an online petition asking that Judge Butler step down or be recalled for his actions.

A statement issued Saturday by the Colorado Judicial Branch says that Judge Butler will not be speaking out on the controversy, citing state guidelines that prevent court officers from commenting on cases.