BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A former Idaho lawmaker was convicted Friday of raping a 19-year-old legislative intern after a dramatic trial wherein the younger lady fled the witness stand throughout testimony, saying “I can’t do that.”
The intern instructed a Statehouse supervisor that Aaron von Ehlinger raped her at his condominium after the 2 had dinner at a Boise restaurant in March 2021. He mentioned the intercourse was consensual.
On the time, von Ehlinger was a state consultant from Lewiston, however he later resigned.
Von Ehlinger, 39, was discovered responsible Friday of rape. He was discovered not responsible of sexual penetration with a international object.
Von Ehlinger sat calmly as the decision was learn, as he has all through the trial. Von Ehlinger talked quietly together with his lawyer, who eliminated objects from Von Ehlinger’s pockets as he was handcuffed and remanded to custody.
Afterward, 4th District Decide Michael Reardon instructed the jury: “This has been an uncommon case attended by many surprising circumstances, however I admire your consideration ... and arduous work.”
Sentencing has been scheduled for July 28.
The Related Press usually doesn't determine individuals who say they've been sexually assaulted, and has referred to the lady on this case as “Jane Doe” at her request.
Doe haltingly described the moments the alleged assault started, earlier than abruptly leaving the witness stand.
“He tried to place his fingers between my legs and I closed my knees,” Doe mentioned.
At that, she stood up.
“I can’t do that,” she mentioned, rapidly strolling out of the courtroom.
The decide gave the prosecuting attorneys 10 minutes to seek out her to find out if she would return and resume her testimony.
When she didn't, the decide instructed the jurors they needed to “strike (Doe’s testimony) out of your minds as if it by no means occurred,” as a result of the protection couldn't cross-examine her.
Throughout his testimony Thursday, von Ehlinger usually spoke in a transparent, loud voice on to jurors, saying he and Doe determined to return to his condominium to “hang around” after consuming at a flowery Boise restaurant. Then they started making out on the sofa, he mentioned.
“Issues had been going nicely, and I requested (Doe) if she want to transfer to the bed room,” von Ehlinger mentioned. “She mentioned ‘Positive.’ We acquired up, held fingers and walked into the bed room.”
Deliberations stretched for seven hours till almost 8 p.m. Thursday earlier than the jury determined to interrupt for the night. At one level, the decide summoned the attorneys to his chambers as a result of the jury requested a query. No particulars had been made public in regards to the jury’s inquiry.
When the allegations grew to become public — largely due to the legislative ethics investigation — Doe confronted unrelenting harassment from a few of von Ehlinger’s supporters. Her title, photograph and private particulars about her life had been repeatedly publicized in “doxxing” incidents. One of many individuals who regularly harassed her was within the courthouse to attend the trial, however regulation enforcement banned the person from the ground the place the place case was being heard.
Throughout closing arguments, Ada County Deputy Prosecuting Lawyer Katelyn Farley instructed jurors that the case was about “energy within the incorrect fingers” used to the “nice devastation” of Doe. Von Ehlinger had social, political and bodily energy over the petite intern, Farley mentioned.
“He used that energy to rape and forcibly penetrate her,” Farley mentioned, pointing at von Ehlinger. Doe resisted in a number of methods, she mentioned, highlighting the testimony of regulation enforcement investigators and a nurse sexual assault examiner who interviewed Doe after the alleged assault.
“Phrases present lack of consent. Excuses of ‘Why this shouldn’t occur,’ present lack of consent. Yanking your head again and getting an damage exhibits lack of consent,” Farley mentioned.
However von Ehlinger’s protection lawyer Jon Cox instructed jurors the prosecution’s case was made up of “crimson herrings,” and mentioned von Ehlinger was a reputable one who willingly took the stand to share his facet of the story.
Earlier this week, jurors heard from investigators and a nurse who carried out a rape examination. They testified that Doe reported being pinned down whereas von Ehlinger pressured her to carry out oral intercourse, and that she knew he regularly carried a handgun and had positioned it on a dresser close to the mattress on the time of the assault. A nurse additionally testified that Doe had a “goose egg” on the again of her head from placing the wall or a headboard whereas making an attempt to jerk her head away from von Ehlinger’s grip.
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