Former Idaho legislator goes to prison for rape
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Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman
(Idaho Statesman) — Former state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger — who was convicted of rape — told an Ada County courtroom Wednesday that he took a pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Israel before standing trial over two felony sexual assault charges. He said in order to be baptized he had to confess his sins. But while he confessed to a lot of sins, he said, rape wasn’t one of them.
Von Ehlinger continued to maintain his innocence after a jury found him guilty of raping a legislative intern last year. Fourth District Judge Michael Reardon on Wednesday sentenced the former Lewiston lawmaker to a total of 20 years, with at least eight fixed in prison. He will have to register as a sex offender, and Reardon placed him under a no-contact order lasting through 2055, according to The Associated Press.
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Reardon noted that von Ehlinger referred to himself as both a “victim” and “hero.”
“Frankly, I don’t see you as either one of those things,” Reardon told him.
The former intern, 19 at the time of the sexual assault, said he forced her to perform oral sex at his Boise apartment after they had dinner.
“I hope he rots in pieces behind those cold metal bars.”
The woman was kept anonymous throughout the trial and was referred to only as J.V. in court records. In an audio recorded statement played to the court, J.V. said she felt ashamed throughout the criminal justice process, but hoped coming forward would help other survivors of sexual assault.
“I hope (that) me coming forward and help forge a path for any future Jane or John Does here in Idaho,” J.V. said. “And to conclude, I hope he rots in pieces behind those cold metal bars.”
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Under Idaho law, the maximum sentence von Ehlinger could have received was life in prison. Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Katelyn Margueritte Farley asked Reardon to sentence the former lawmaker to at least 15 years in prison, with another 25 years to be spent in prison, on parole or both. Von Ehlinger’s attorney, Jon Cox, argued for three years fixed, seven years indeterminate.
“That night is a night that J.V. should never have to go through,” Farley said, as she advocated for a harsher sentence for the former Lewiston lawmaker. “The defendant doesn’t believe he has done anything wrong.”
Of the 20 years he was sentenced, von Ehlinger could spend up to 12 on parole. He was also ordered to pay a civil penalty of $5,000 and $2,015 in restitution.
Reardon noted that 26 people submitted letters on behalf of von Ehlinger. In von Ehlinger’s statement to the court, he said that even his former wife submitted a letter.
“They say that I’m a good man; they had no problems,” von Ehlinger said, “that I was a good influence on their sons.”
Von Ehlinger was originally supposed to be sentenced in July. The sentencing was postponed due to a motion submitted by von Ehlinger’s attorney, Jon Cox, to retry or acquit his rape case. Reardon denied the motion last week.
Reardon said in court last week that in a case like von Ehlinger’s, in which the jury found beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty, he’s not “inclined to try and second-guess that jury’s decision.”
“I want to thank Jane Doe for the courage she has demonstrated in this case,” Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts said in a statement “I appreciate the tireless work done by the Boise Police detectives on this case, which allowed my team to ensure justice was served.”
Emily Lowe, a spokesperson for the office, told the Idaho Statesman by text that the prosecutor’s office will not be providing additional comments.