Cindy Seeley Hendrickson, a candidate who recently opened a campaign to replace Judge Aaron Persky in the potential recall election in June 2018, will be on hand for a community meet-and-greet at 5pm tonight at Huntington Station. (50 E. Third St.)
Although the recall effort is still in the process of gathering the required signatures, Hendrickson’s supporters say her candidacy provides voters with an alternative to Persky, who has faced sustained criticism from the public since he sentenced Stanford University student Brock Turner to a six-month jail sentence for a rape conviction in 2016.
For 22 years, Hendrickson, who currently serves as a Santa Clara County Assistant District Attorney, has prosecuted some of the region’s most gut-wrenching cases, according to a press release from her campaign. In 1999, she helped launch the Santa Clara County Financial Abuse Specialist Team, sending con artists to prison and helping seniors recover and protect millions of dollars in life savings.
Her work on the sexual assault unit of the District Attorney’s Office led to life imprisonment for numerous child molesters and rapists, the press release continues. And in 2015, she used her experience working on hundreds of domestic violence cases to help create a Family Justice Center in San Jose, where victims of domestic violence can receive comprehensive services.
“I’ve spent over two decades as a prosecutor advocating for the most vulnerable victims in our society while safeguarding the rights of the accused, and I will continue to faithfully serve my community as a Judge on the Superior Court,” said Hendrickson. “Santa Clara County needs judges who reflect the values of the community, and there needs to be no doubt that the laws apply fairly to all. In my courtroom, everyone will feel respected and heard.”
Hendrickson, a graduate of Stanford University and UCLA Law School, worked as a civil litigator for five years before being sworn in as a Deputy District Attorney in 1995. She currently lives in San Jose, her home for over 17 years where she and her husband are raising 3 teenage daughters.
Advocates of the recall effort against Persky—who argue his sentence for Turner was too lenient—have until January to gather the more than 55,000 signatures they need to force an election next year.
Who: Santa Clara County ADA Cindy Hendrickson
What: Meet and greet event
Where: 5pm tonight at Huntington Station. (50 E. Third St.)
Why: Hendrickson has opened her candidacy to run against Judge Aaron Persky if a recall election happens in June 2018
