A decide sentenced Ben McLemore to greater than eight years in Oregon state jail Wednesday after the previous NBA guard was discovered responsible of raping and sexually assaulting a 21-year-old lady at a Lake Oswego home get together in 2021.
A Clackamas County Circuit Court docket jury discovered the 32-year-old McLemore, who hasn’t performed within the NBA since 2022, responsible final week on one cost of first-degree rape, one cost of first-degree illegal sexual penetration and one depend of second-degree sexual abuse. The jury did not convict McLemore on a further depend of second-degree sexual abuse. McLemore, who was sentenced to 100 months in state jail Wednesday, pleaded not responsible to all 4 counts.
McLemore didn’t deal with the courtroom and was wearing a Clackamas County Jail inmate clothes.
“Many individuals are sometimes afraid to report such a conduct for a lot of causes,” Clackamas County First Assistant District Legal professional Scott Healy stated in a press release. “Hopefully the sufferer’s energy and braveness on this case will give others the fortitude to return ahead in circumstances the place sexual assault has occurred. The sentence the defendant obtained right this moment ought to function a reminder that such a conduct won’t be tolerated in our group, and that the Clackamas County DA’s Workplace will all the time work exhausting to carry offenders accountable and supply justice to victims.”
The costs stem from a report of sexual assault in Lake Oswego, Oregon, on Oct. 3, 2021, on the residence of Robert Covington, considered one of McLemore’s then-teammates on the Portland Path Blazers. Police started investigating, and McLemore was recognized as a suspect.
In February 2024, a Clackamas County grand jury heard proof within the case, together with testimony from the lady who stated McLemore assaulted her, and issued an indictment towards McLemore in addition to an arrest warrant, in keeping with police from Lake Oswego.
U.S. Marshals arrested McLemore two months later.
“We hope the Oregon Legislature will undertake a ‘re-assessment’ course of that may consider whether or not he ought to serve all the 100 month sentence or whether or not, past the quick alcohol-influenced encounter that led to this conviction, he’s a thoughtful and humble one that has lived an honorable, community-focused life,” McLemore’s legal professional, Kristen Winemiller, instructed ESPN on Wednesday.
Healy instructed jurors throughout the trial that the sufferer had been consuming closely, handed out on a front room sofa round 2 a.m., then regained partial consciousness within the morning when McLemore sexually penetrated her together with his fingers after which started having intercourse together with her.
McLemore’s attorneys disputed the sufferer’s account and claimed she initiated sexual contact and consented to it. Additionally they asserted that the lady was sober sufficient to consent despite the fact that each she and McLemore had been intoxicated. On Wednesday, the sufferer appeared by video and skim a press release.
“This has been the longest nearly 4 years of my life. I by no means imagined that reporting this again in 2021 would result in such an extremely tough and lengthy journey,” she stated, partly. “These previous couple of years have typically felt like a weight that I’ve needed to drag behind me, a continuing reminder of the trauma that I have never been capable of absolutely work by way of as a result of there was no ending in sight. I now perceive, on a deep degree, why so many victims hesitate or by no means report what occurred to them.”
McLemore was the seventh choose within the 2013 draft out of Kansas and performed for 5 groups throughout 9 NBA seasons. After enjoying for the Path Blazers, McLemore started enjoying abroad for skilled groups in China, Greece and Spain.