Jury Finds Former Idaho Lawmaker Guilty of Rape

A long and drawn out trial has finally been brought to a conclusion as a former Idaho state representative was found guilty of raping a 19-year-old intern at the Idaho Capitol last year.

You may recall when the story broke--shock struck the public when accusations of rape were put forward by "Jane Doe" who's identity was protected for her safety. As an Ethic Committee began to investigate, more and more information came out, eluding to the fact that this may not have been the first time Aaron von Ehlinger had complaints filed about his behavior.

The Ethics Hearing was ugly--Jane Doe testified and was later chased down in the Idaho Captiol for comment during an attempt to get her out, anonymously, by a now "fallen" television reporter.

After being removed from the Idaho House of Representatives, a trail was put on the court docket and today, after 11-hours of deliberation, von Ehlinger was found:

• Guilty of felony rape
• NOT Guilty of Forcible penetration

Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts commented, as reported by Idaho's News Channel 7 (KTVB) saying: 

It is incredibly important to show victims that you can come forward and that you will be believed

Now convicted, a sentencing date has been set for von Ehlinger on July 28th. While we wait to hear what he will be facing, we do know that he will be required to register as a sex offender and will also be facing up to life in prison. Advocates for domestic and sexual violence victims are hoping that a strong message is sent to offenders like von Ehlinger in this sentencing.