Woman, Jane Doe, who says ex-Idaho lawmaker raped her abruptly halts testimony, rushes from courtroom: “I can’t do this”

Boise, Idaho — A girl who reported she was raped by an Idaho lawmaker whereas serving as a legislative intern testified within the former lawmaker’s trial on Wednesday, haltingly describing the moments the assault started earlier than abruptly leaving the witness stand.

“I can not do that,” the girl mentioned, shortly strolling out of the courtroom.

The Related Press typically doesn’t determine individuals who say they’ve been sexually assaulted, and has referred to the girl on this case as “Jane Doe” at her request.

Doe was a 19-year-old intern when she instructed her supervisors that then-Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, a Republican from Lewiston, raped her at his Boise condo after the 2 had dinner at a restaurant.

Von Ehlinger, 38, has pleaded not responsible to felony prices of rape and sexual penetration with a overseas object, and maintains the 2 had consensual intercourse. He resigned from the Home of Representatives final yr after a legislative ethics committee really helpful he be banned from the Statehouse.

Throughout testimony Wednesday afternoon, Ada County Deputy Prosecuting Lawyer Katelyn Farley requested Doe to explain an article of clothes worn by von Ehlinger that day, presumably to determine him to the jury.

“Blazer,” Doe mentioned, taking lengthy seems to be across the room. When Farley requested her to explain the colour of von Ehlinger’s tie, Doe answered, “I can not.”

Most of Doe’s solutions had been usually one or two phrases lengthy, and she or he continuously seemed towards the jury or the exit door behind the courtroom. At different occasions her gaze landed on the protection desk the place von Ehlinger sat together with his protection lawyer, Jon Cox.

Behind the attorneys, the gallery of the courtroom was full. Journalists, representatives from sufferer companies and different onlookers sat side-by-side. One of many benches was reserved for a lady with a service canine – the animals are generally used to supply a supportive presence for witnesses who’re requested to present troublesome testimony.

Doe’s voice was quiet, and Cox repeatedly interrupted her solutions to say that he could not hear her. That prompted the choose to repeatedly ask Doe to scoot nearer to the microphone, and lean in.

“I want you to take a look at me,” Farley instructed Doe, once more.

“I can not,” she responded, trying once more towards the rear exit door.

In response to Farley’s questions, Doe mentioned she ate at a restaurant with von Ehlinger and that afterward he drove her to his condo in his automotive. Inside, she sat down and had cookies. “Oreos,” she mentioned.

Then, she mentioned, von Ehlinger picked her up and carried her into his bed room.

“He laid me down … he eliminated his garments … he climbed on high of me … in simply his boxers. White T-shirt,” Doe mentioned. “He tried to place his fingers between my legs and I closed my knees.”

At that, she stood up.

“I can not do that anymore,” she mentioned, fleeing the courtroom.

The choose gave the prosecuting attorneys 10 minutes to seek out her and see if she would return. When she didn’t, Reardon instructed the jurors they needed to “strike (Doe’s testimony) out of your minds as if it by no means occurred,” as a result of the protection couldn’t cross-examine her.

It was the second day of the trial. On Tuesday, jurors heard from police detectives and the nurse who accomplished a rape examination on Doe roughly 48 hours after she mentioned the assault occurred.

The nurse testified that Doe instructed her that she tried to cease von Ehlinger’s sexual advances by saying she hadn’t shaved, that she wasn’t on contraception and that she was menstruating. Doe additionally instructed her that von Ehlinger had positioned the handgun he at all times carried on a dresser close to the mattress, and that he pinned Doe through the assault by climbing on high of her and kneeling on her higher arms.

The detectives and nurse additionally instructed jurors that Doe reported she instructed von Ehlinger “no” through the assault and mentioned he was hurting her. The nurse mentioned Doe reported arm ache through the examination, and that she had a swollen “goose egg” on the again of her head that she mentioned occurred when she tried to jerk her head away from von Ehlinger’s crotch, hitting the wall or a headboard.

Jurors additionally heard from forensic scientists who mentioned that DNA from bodily fluids collected throughout Doe’s rape examination matched von Ehlinger.

After Doe left the courtroom, the prosecutor known as Laura King, an affiliate felony justice professor from Boise State College who’s an professional in sexual violence victimization.

King instructed jurors that victims of a sexual assault usually battle, flee or freeze through the assault, and that the hormones that set off these responses also can trigger an individual to expertise non permanent paralysis or dissociation, a psychological state the place they really feel disconnected from actuality.

Those self same physiological responses together with dissociation also can occur when sexual assault survivors describe the assault, King mentioned. Such habits could appear unusual, however it’s a pure response to an assault, she mentioned.

Cox requested King whether or not she knew something about von Ehlinger’s case. King mentioned she didn’t.

“You discuss particularly about these situations – battle, flight, freeze, dissociative occasions, tonic immobility – however you haven’t any concept as a result of you have no details about this case particularly, proper?” Cox requested King.

King agreed, saying she was speaking typically in regards to the analysis on sexual assault victims.

After King’s testimony, Farley mentioned the prosecution’s case was over.

Cox mentioned he would let the choose know on Thursday morning if von Ehlinger will testify in his personal protection.

If convicted, von Ehlinger might face a most penalty of life in jail on every cost.