Former state MP Aaron von Ehlinger was found guilty Friday of raping a legislature by a 12-member jury after 11 hours of consultation over two days. The jury’s decision followed an emotional three-day trial in which the key testimony of the woman, now 20, was cut short and struck by consultation. Von Ehlinger was charged with two felonies, rape and forcible penetration using a foreign object. The former practitioner, 19 years old at the time of the sexual assault, said that he was imposed on her in his apartment after they had dined. The court acquitted him of the charge of violent penetration. “The victims can be trusted,” County Attorney Anta Jan Benetz told a news conference Friday, along with the two prosecutors assigned to the case. Von Ellinger, 39, has repeatedly denied the charges against him and claimed he had consensual sex with the accused, which was identified with the initials JV in court. Von Ehlinger, a Juliaetta resident, resigned from the Idaho House a few hours last year after an ethics committee unanimously recommended that the Republican be ousted. Von Ehlinger’s lawyer, Jon Cox, left quickly on Friday when he asked a member of the media for a comment. Statesman’s attempts to reach Cox were unsuccessful. Von Ehlinger could face up to one year to life in prison and must be registered as a sex offender. His sentence is scheduled for 9 a.m. on July 28. Former state MP Aaron von Ehlinger was arrested on Friday, April 29, 2022, and held in Ada County Jail after being found guilty of raping a 19-year-old lawmaker by a 12-member jury. James Dawson Boise State Public Radio
The former MP was immediately arrested by police on Friday and will be held in Ada County Jail.

“I can not do this”: The accuser cuts the testimony

Throughout the trial, the court heard testimonies from more than half a dozen witnesses – most of whom were summoned by the prosecution – who testified about the sexual assault. This included a nurse who examined JV and two detectives who spoke to her. The jury also heard von Ehlinger’s almost two-hour testimony on Thursday, when a different version of events was narrated on the night of March 9, 2021, when the rape took place. The jurors reached the verdict even though they could not use the basic testimony of the accuser. JV testified briefly on Wednesday, but abruptly left the podium in the middle of a description of the sexual assault. JV said von Ehlinger had put his hand between her legs and she closed her legs shortly before cutting off her deposition. As von Ehlinger’s lawyer could not hear her, District 4 Judge Michael Reardon ordered the jury to testify. “I can not do that,” JV said as she left the witness stand. Ada County Deputy Attorney General Katelyn Margueritte Farley said the prosecutor’s office prepared her case knowing how difficult it would be for JV to enter the courtroom. Ada County Attorneys (left to right) Katelyn Margueritte Farley, Jan Bennetts and Whitney Welsh speak to the media after Aaron von Ehlinger was found guilty of rape on Friday, April 29, 2022. Alex Brizee Idaho Statesman

Lisa Growette Bostaph, a professor of criminal justice at Boise State University, told the Idaho Statesman by telephone that narrating a sexual assault experience is again traumatic for survivors. He said it is best practice for police to limit the number of questions and the number of times survivors have to tell the story.
“You have to discuss something incredibly traumatic and incredibly personal in front of strangers – when you probably didn’t even want to tell your parents,” Bostaph said. “There is not enough preparation to predict whether or not a victim will be able to overcome this unnatural environment to offer a narrative of an extremely traumatic event.” Cases of sexual assault are also less likely to lead to a conviction than other crimes. Of the 217 cases of rape reported in Ada County, only 13% resulted in an arrest, according to the Crime in Idaho report. Two out of three cases of sexual harassment are never reported to the police, according to the National Rape, Abuse and Incest Network or RAINN. Ada Whitney Welsh, the deputy attorney general in the case against von Ehlinger, said it was crucial to let JV decide if she was ready to testify. “I think it’s important that he decided to walk into the room and also decided to go out,” Wells told a news conference Friday. Asked by Stateman about the barriers faced by sexual assault victims throughout the legal system, Bennetts said raising awareness is key. “Obviously, it’s one of those things that victims feel, you know, a lot of emotions and come forward and how it will be for them,” Benetz said. “You cover it up and raise awareness.”

Previous Stateman coverage

Former MP Aaron von Ehlinger, accused of rape, takes a stand. the jury is discussing Former lawmaker accusing Aaron von Ehlinger of rape testifies Former Idaho lawmaker returning from Central America when arrested in Georgia Idaho lawmaker accused of sexual harassment resigns after ethics committee urges expulsion Idaho lawmaker charged with sexual harassment, his attorney testified before House ethics committee Idaho lawmaker made other women “feel uncomfortable,” he said, stopping House Republicans This story was originally published on April 29, 2022 at 1:29 p.m. Idaho Statesman Related Stories Alex Brizee covers breaking news and crime for the Idaho Statesman. A native of Miami and a graduate of the University of Idaho, he has lived throughout the United States. Go Vandals! In her free time she loves the Thai pad, the hugs with her dog and the strong coffee. Support my work with a digital subscription