NBC’s Today Show this morning reported on court documents they say suggest a history of drug and alcohol use for former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner, who was convicted of sexual assault last week.
The Today Show clip, which you can view here, says NBC obtained court documents that showed text messages from Turner’s phone talking about drinking and drug use during both high school and college.
NBC also includes excerpts from the court document in which Turner says “Coming from a small town in Ohio, I had never really experienced celebrating or partying that involved alcohol,” and denies ever having used “illicit substances.”
But NBC reports that the text messages referenced in the court document reference drinking and “buying and sharing weed,” in both high school and college. NBC says more text messages show Turner claiming to have done acid and expressing interest in “candyflippin,” which is the act of combining LSD and MDMA.
It should be noted that recreational marijuana – while legal in certain states – is currently illegal in both California and Ohio.
NBC also reports that Turner had been previously cited for underage drinking and possessing a fake ID, and that one letter of support used in his trial has been withdrawn by its author, Turner’s high school counselor.
Because his conviction was for sexual assault, Turner is currently being held away from the general inmate population in the Santa Clara County Jail. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office said that policy is in place because sexual assault inmates are often targeted by other inmates while in jail.
Swedish Bikers Speak On Situation
In a related story, the two Swedish grad students who biked by and found Turner the night of his arrest have spoken about the situation. The Washington Post has video here of an interview with Carl-Frederik Arndt, who talks about what happened on that night in January 2015.
The other biker, Peter Jonsson, hasn’t commented publicly on the case besides a short Facebook post encouraging people to read the letter written by the anonymous woman whom Turner is convicted of assaulting. You can find that letter here. Jonsson’s full quote is below:
“Thanks to everyone, friends and strangers, for all the encouragement and support over the last days and months,” he wrote. “At this point I will not publicly comment on the process or the outcome of the trial. However, I do ask all of you to spare a few minutes and read this letter written by the Victim.
“To me it is unique in its form and comes as close as you can possibly get to putting words on an experience that words cannot describe.”
I love that this is being heavily covered by the media and that this guy is getting what he deserves. Brock is the sole individual responsible for his actions as we all are. I know that we all love to come here and rag on Stanford especially as Cal alum, but his teammates are not to blame, the team culture is not to blame, and the university’s climate is not to blame. It should be pretty obvious that Brock is deflecting as much of this heat as he can back towards his teammates, which goes to solidify the public’s general view on his character.
Can you name a college that doesn’t have a “party atmosphere”? Can you name a peer… Read more »
Of course Brock is guilty, but sorry, the stupid woman that got so drunk she passed out deserves some level of responsibility. She put herself in danger . I still believe that there is a chance that up to a point their interaction was consensual. She can’t remember so we don’t know the truth. Sad all around.
When you drink too much, here is what you deserve: a hangover.
Plus, he probably roofied her anyway.
And, even if it started out consensual (which I doubt), by the time he was caught, she was *completely* unconscious, totally unresponsive. Even if it started out consensual, it is not legally consensual at that point. And, he knew that. As a new college freshman, he was required to take seminars on this topic. He knew exactly what he was doing.
If this kid was so good and graduated in 2014 from high school why can’t I find him in the results of the NCAA 2014-15? I read everywhere that he was an Olympic hopeful!?!
The incident happened in January 2015 and NCAA’s were not until March…don’t get ahead of yourself now.
This question hasn’t been asked yet, but what was the end game Brock was thinking about after finishing his business behind the dumpster, remember he didn’t think it would never this way. Because he ran, he knew what he was doing was wrong, so he didn’t plan on taking her home. I see only two other options, and one of those options is rather heinous.
NOOOOO, he lied too??!!??
The “judge” should re-open the case based upon newly-discovered evidence and Tuner should be indicted and retried (along with his father) for false statements, perjury and obstruction of justice. If the pathetic state court won’t do it, the United States Attorney should convene a new grand jury.
If he appeals his conviction (he would be a fool to do so), then that will certainly be used against him.
However unfair on many levels it is this is so bad for Stanford. The institution and the swim team should not be sullied, but this story just won’t end. Stanford isn’t culpable.
Stanford is an important part of the story. Powerful institution of privilege, the judge’s background with Stanford, the greater Stanford community’s outrage. Bro culture of Division 1 NCAA sports. Wouldn’t be the same national impact if it happened at a juco or community college. This is playing across fault lines of tensions in US society you see playing out in US presidential elections.
Stanford will be fine and the Stanford community’s outrage over this will make Stamford look very good long term. Maybe not so much for swimming program though.
Why not the swim team? This has merely exposed their drug & cohol culture including dumpster dating . katz outta de bag.
Why are you so naive & sanctimonious?
This is the big US outrage crime of 2016 & is deflecting from many others. My current fave is the Texas 24 year old teacher who got herself impregnated by her 13 -or was it 11? -year old pupil. There has been light shone on the things women get up to that is very uncomfortable & it seems like an epidemic .
So everyone is spinning on this .
hey why don’t we petition to get them all expelled because they drink alcohol? [sarcasm]
You gotta love the picture of him holding the bong and wearing a Stanford swimming t-shirt.
The house of cards put up by the Turner family comes crashing down if there is validity to texts that the fair haired rapist was abusing alcohol and drugs long before the Cardinal swim team got hold of him. Then, it wasn’t the Stanford community of partying that caused this rape (or misunderstanding as Brock’s father would have you believe). But it was Brock’s parents who turned their rapist son loose on the Stanford Community.
Thousands of people on the Stanford community. Hundreds drinking. Hundreds drinking excessively. Hundreds hooking up with fellow drunk people. Only one sick mutha thought it would be cool to bring some girl who couldn’t talk who was on the verge of passing out behind… Read more »
“Violate her like a parking meter”? Sounds as if you were there. It’s emotional and flowery comments like this one that make comment sections the least credible source for readers to formulate their own conclusions (not that comment sections were ever good for this).
Sad attempt at humor. Is violating a parking meter even a possibility when comparing it to rape? Also, hundreds drinking excessively and hooking up? He makes it sound like Brock had so many opportunities to hook up why do what he did. We don’t know that was the culture there on that night and how is the father enabling him to rape someone? Was he feeding drinks to the girl?
ISNOTBREASTROKEANYMORE has it right, This kid is a product of his entitled life – no responsibility and no consequences – it was the way he was raised. Justice is not finished with him and his family. Karma has a way of coming around. Although I agree that his teammates have absolutely no responsibility for his heinous act I can tell you there is definitely a privileged D1 entitlement attitude with that team. I attended a meet in November where the Stanford mens team swam at an invitational and I have to say I have never been so appalled by how rude their swimmers (not all but most) were at the meet. They showed absolutely no respect towards other teams by… Read more »
…….side bar to my above comment about the swim meet in November, USC was the epitome of class in sportsmanship! They demonstrated divine pool etiquette with their cheers, towards officials, teammates, fellow competitors and were a pleasure to watch! They show grace in winning and honor and humility when not. And no my kid doesn’t go to either school.
We know a guy on the men’s team and he screwed up big time before heading off to Stanford to swim. It humbled him for awhile, but that only lasted a short time. Came home cockier than ever. A real disappointment considering how supportive his club team was. Acted too good to be on deck at his old home pool and was above it all. Seeing what has happened with the culture on this team, now I understand how pervasive the superior attitude must be on that team. “Rules don’t apply to me” blah blah blah
You are right people need to learned from their experiences but Brock was reckless before college he admitted to taking LSD which leads to hallucinations, worst than Pot or booze.
Well did anyone read the actual text messages. The one exchange was with a person that has the same name as a top Pac 10 swimmer at another school. Maybe its a coincidence or maybe not.