Jury deliberations resume inside rape trial of Idaho ex-lawmaker
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Jurors inside the rape trial of a former Idaho lawmaker started their following day of deliberations Friday following a theatrical three-day trial inside which the accuser, a 19-year-old intern, fled the observer stand throughout testimony, saying "I can't do this."
During closing arguments Thursday, the jury of sextet men with every one other accompanied by sextet women were asked to measure the heaviness of whether the instance involves "power inside the incorrect hands" used to injury a young legislative intern or consensual sexual intercourse following a dinner date.
Aaron von Ehlinger, 39, has pleaded not culpable to felony charges of rape with every one other accompanied by reproductive penetration accompanied by a overseas thing — both charges convey a greatest punishment of up to existence inside prison — with every one other accompanied by maintains he had consensual sexual intercourse accompanied by the young woman.
Deliberations stretched for septet hours until almost 8 p.m. Thursday earlier to the jury decided to shatter for the evening. At one point, the judge summoned the attorneys to his chambers since the jury asked a question. No details were made condition concerning the jury's inquiry.
The Associated Press normally does not identify people who speak they have been sexually assaulted, with every one other accompanied by has referred to the woman inside this instance while "Jane Doe" at her request.
Doe told her supervisors that von Ehlinger, who was at that hour dated a Republican representative from Lewiston, raped her inside March 2021 at his Boise apartment following the set of two had dinner at a restaurant. Von Ehlinger resigned from the House of Representatives last year following a legislative ethics committee recommended that he exist banned from the Statehouse since of his behaviour accompanied by Doe.
When the allegations became condition — mostly since of the legislative ethics investigation — Doe faced unrelenting harassment from some of von Ehlinger's supporters. Her name, photo with every one other accompanied by personal details concerning her existence were repeatedly publicized inside "doxxing" incidents. One of the people who regularly harassed her was inside the courthouse to attend the trial, nevertheless rules and regulations enforcement banned the male from the ground where where instance was actuality heard.
Over the span of trio days, jurors heard graphic with every one other accompanied by occasionally harrowing testimony, including from Doe, who briefly took the observer stand earlier to abruptly standing with every one other accompanied by leaving the courtroom.
Doe haltingly described the moments the alleged assault began.
"He laid me down ... he removed his clothes ... he climbed on top of me ... inside fair his boxers. White T-shirt," Doe said. "He tried to place his fingers in the centre of my legs with every one other accompanied by I closed my knees."
At that, she stood up.
"I can't do this," she said, fast walking not here of the courtroom.
The judge instructed them not to believe concerning her testimony following Doe fled earlier to she could exist questioned by the defense.
During closing arguments, Ada County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Katelyn Farley told jurors that the instance was concerning "power inside the incorrect hands" used to the "great devastation" of Doe. Von Ehlinger had social, political with every one other accompanied by physical ability over the petite intern, Farley said.
"He used that ability to rape with every one other accompanied by forcibly penetrate her," Farley said, pointing at von Ehlinger. Doe resisted inside some ways, she said, highlighting the testimony of rules and regulations enforcement investigators with every one other accompanied by a nurse reproductive assault examiner who interviewed Doe following the alleged assault.
"Words show lack of consent. Excuses of 'Why this shouldn't happen,' show lack of consent. Yanking your head spine with every one other accompanied by getting an wound shows lack of consent," Farley said.
But von Ehlinger's protection attorney Jon Cox told jurors the prosecution's instance was made up of "red herrings," with every one other accompanied by said von Ehlinger was a credible human being who voluntarily took the stand to portion his side of the story.
"Judge his credibility, that's all you tin do," Cox said. "For every one assertion that the condition has made, or some proof ... Aaron has specified you a, 'This is what happened.' That, inside with every one other accompanied by of itself, creates reasonable doubt."
During his testimony, von Ehlinger regularly spoke inside a clear, loud power of speech straight to jurors, telling them the reproductive touch was the culmination of a earliest day accompanied by the intern.
"She was flirting accompanied by me, so I thought, 'Why not? Go not here to dinner accompanied by a person? Why not?'" he said.
After eating at a fancy Boise restaurant, he with every one other accompanied by Doe decided to return to his apartment, where they began making not here on the couch, he said.
"Things were going well, with every one other accompanied by I asked (Doe) if she would exist fond of to go to the bedroom," von Ehlinger said. "She said 'Sure.' We got up, held hands with every one other accompanied by walked into the bedroom."
In the bedroom, things became "hot with every one other accompanied by heavy," von Ehlinger said, with every one other accompanied by he stepped away to disrobe behind his cupboard door, carefully hanging up his outfit jacket, bind with every one other accompanied by slacks, earlier to returning to the bed. At his suggestion, Doe briefly performed oral sex, he said. He too denied carrying a firearm that night, with every one other accompanied by said he seldom carries one.
"Very rarely, with every one other accompanied by certainly not accompanied by a outfit on," von Ehlinger said.
But while under questioning from Farley, he acknowledged that he described the events of that darkness differently inside statements drafted by set of two different attorneys he formerly hired to symbolize him. In those statements, he said he with every one other accompanied by Doe took every one other's clothes off.
He too said he normally carried concealed weapons when he did convey guns, most regularly a small handgun that he would place inside the front compartment of his jeans or outfit pants.
Earlier this week, jurors heard from investigators with every one other accompanied by a nurse who performed a rape exam. They testified that Doe reported actuality pinned down while von Ehlinger forced her to perform oral sex, with every one other accompanied by that she knew he regularly carried a handgun with every one other accompanied by had placed it on a dresser near the couch at the hour dated of the assault. A nurse too testified that Doe had a "goose egg" on the spine of her head from striking the barrier or a headboard while trying to jerk her head away from von Ehlinger's grip.
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