Aaron von Ehlinger

2022 - 4 - 30

Post cover
Image courtesy of "CNN"

A former Idaho state lawmaker is convicted of raping a legislative ... (CNN)

A former Idaho state lawmaker was found guilty Friday of raping a state legislative intern in 2021.

A sentencing hearing for von Ehlinger is scheduled for July 28, according to online court records. He was charged in the case later that year. the sexual encounter was consensual.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Idaho Republican's rape conviction a rare victory for sexual assault ... (The Guardian)

Only 5% of reported sexual assaults in the US result in arrest, according to Rainn, and just 2.8% result in felony convictions.

“I think one of the issues that we face as a society is the understanding of consent, what a rape looks like, and how power differentials come into play,” she said. Doe was 19 and interning at the Idaho statehouse when she met Von Ehlinger and agreed to go to dinner. The ethics committee recommended von Ehlinger be banned from the statehouse. A black fabric screen protected her from view in the packed public hearing but as she left some von Ehlinger supporters chased her, filming as she fell to the floor distraught. Von Ehlinger faces anywhere from a year to life in prison. When a legislative intern accused von Ehlinger of rape last year, she was subjected to online harassment and abuse.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Lewiston Morning Tribune"

Von Ehlinger convicted of rape (Lewiston Morning Tribune)

BOISE — Former Lewiston Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger's yearlong fall from grace ended in handcuffs Friday, when a jury of his peers found him guilty of raping a ...

Post cover
Image courtesy of "CBS News"

Former Idaho lawmaker Aaron von Ehlinger found guilty of raping ... (CBS News)

A former Idaho lawmaker was convicted Friday of raping a 19-year-old legislative intern after a dramatic trial in which the young woman fled the witness ...

A nurse also testified that Doe had a "goose egg" on the back of her head from striking the wall or a headboard while trying to jerk her head away from von Ehlinger's grip. They testified that Doe reported being pinned down while von Ehlinger forced her to perform oral sex, and that she knew he frequently carried a handgun and had placed it on a dresser near the bed at the time of the assault. At one point, the judge summoned the attorneys to his chambers because the jury asked a question. "He tried to put his fingers between my legs and I closed my knees," Doe said. "She said 'Sure.' We got up, held hands and walked into the bedroom." A former Idaho lawmaker was convicted Friday of raping a 19-year-old legislative intern after a dramatic trial in which the young woman fled the witness stand during testimony, saying "I can't do this."

Former Idaho state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger guilty of rape (UPI.com)

An Idaho jury has found former state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger guilty of raping a legislative intern last year.

The victim, identified by the initials J.V., testified the then-lawmaker forced himself on her after dinner at his apartment. She was 19 at the time of the assault. The jury came to its decision after 11 hours of deliberation, also finding von Ehlinger, 39, not guilty of a separate charge of forcible penetration, KTVB-TV in Boise, Idaho, reported.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Fox News"

Former Idaho lawmaker found guilty of raping intern (Fox News)

A former Idaho lawmaker was convicted Friday of raping a 19-year-old legislative intern after a dramatic trial in which the young woman fled the witness ...

They said Doe reported being pinned down while von Ehlinger forced her to perform oral sex, and that she knew he frequently carried a handgun and had placed it on a dresser near the bed at the time of the assault. The nurse also testified that Doe had a "goose egg" on the back of her head from striking the wall or a headboard while trying to jerk her head away from von Ehlinger's grip. When the allegations became public — largely because of the legislative ethics investigation — Doe faced unrelenting harassment from some of von Ehlinger's supporters. At one point, the judge summoned the attorneys to his chambers because the jury asked a question. "She said ‘Sure.’ We got up, held hands and walked into the bedroom." "Last but not least, it took an incredible amount of courage for the victim in this case, Jane Doe, to come forward," Bennetts said. Doe testified on the second day of the trial. Deliberations stretched for seven hours until nearly 8 p.m. Thursday before the jury decided to break for the evening. Her name, photo and personal details about her life were repeatedly publicized in "doxxing" incidents. Excuses of ‘Why this shouldn’t happen' show lack of consent. Then they began making out on the couch, he said. Von Ehlinger said the sex was consensual.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Boing Boing"

Republican lawmaker convicted of raping intern | Boing Boing (Boing Boing)

Aaron von Ehlinger, a former GOP state legislator in Idaho, was convicted Friday of raping a 19-year-old intern working in his office.

When she did not, the judge told the jurors they had to "strike (Doe's testimony) from your minds as if it never happened," because the defense could not cross-examine her. "He tried to put his fingers between my legs and I closed my knees," Doe said. Doe testified on the second day of the trial.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "silive.com"

Former Idaho lawmaker found guilty of raping teenage intern ... (silive.com)

Aaron von Ehlinger is facing a minimum of one year in prison and up to life behind bars at his sentencing.

“She said ‘Sure.’ We got up, held hands and walked into the bedroom.” The victim apparently told a Statehouse supervisor she and von Ehlinger had gone out to dinner, then returned to her apartment where she was raped. He told the jury that he asked the intern to “hang out” following their dinner and said they began making out on the couch, the Associated Press reported.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "oregonlive.com"

Rape trial of ex-lawmaker in Idaho underscores trauma of sexual ... (oregonlive.com)

Aaron von Ehlinger's rape conviction Friday was a rare victory for prosecutors in a criminal justice system that can be fraught with trauma for sexual ...

“I think one of the issues that we face as a society is the understanding of consent, what a rape looks like, and how power differentials come into play,” she said. For von Ehlinger, the assault report triggered a legislative ethics investigation, and a legislative committee required Doe to testify during the hearing. She haltingly described the first moments of the assault before abruptly standing up, saying “I can’t do this,” and rushing out of the courtroom. She struggled to stay focused on the prosecutor, her gaze shifting between the exit doors, the packed gallery and the defense table where von Ehlinger sat. But the team brought some little form of justice today,” Hightower said. “If the trauma is overwhelming you might see symptoms of dissociation — where they look like they space out. Von Ehlinger, a former Republican state lawmaker, was found guilty of rape and faces anywhere from a year to life in prison when he is sentenced this summer. But the night of March 9, 2021, was not the networking opportunity she expected, she later told investigators. “It really means that we are not very good at prosecuting it and that the survivors very rarely get the desired results,” said Elizabeth Jeglic, a professor of psychology at John Jay College with the City University of New York and an expert in sexual assault prevention and public policy. She underwent a sexual assault examination, which revealed DNA that matched von Ehlinger. I think that’s where we’re going to see the largest change.” Convictions are even rarer, with only about 2.8% of sexual assaults resulting in felony convictions.

Explore the last week