SAN FRANCISCO — Opponents of Judge Aaron Persky, who sentenced ex-Stanford swimmer Brock Turner to six months jail time for a sexual assault conviction, submitted a petition to recall the judge on Thursday after gathering what they said is almost 100,000 signatures.

The final signature count was 94,527, according to Stanford Law professor Michele Dauber, who is leading the campaign. That's nearly double the amount required by the Santa Clara County Registrar's office to put the recall measure on the ballot for elections this summer.

“The voters of our county are saying loud and clear that they will hold Judge Persky accountable for his pattern of bias in favor of athletes and other privileged offenders who commit sex crimes and violence against women,” said Dauber in a statement Thursday.

The petition comes after Persky, who now presides over civil matters at the Santa Clara Superior Court, lost a legal challenge seeking to halt the signature-gathering. The Sixth District Court of Appeal, without comment, also rejected a petition from Persky that would have immediately reversed a trial court's August ruling allowing the recall campaign to continue.

A lawyer for Persky, James McManis of San Jose-based firm McManis Faulkner, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Thursday.

The signatures will now have to be counted by the registrar of voters. If it determines that a sufficient number are valid, Persky will be placed on the June ballot for recall.

Turner served three months jail time after being convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman after a party on campus. He has appealed the conviction, arguing that references to the assault taking place “behind a dumpster” during the trial were prejudicial.