Idaho Supreme Court hears appeal of Aaron Von Ehlinger’s rape conviction

BOISE, Idaho — The legal team for former Idaho state Rep. Aaron Von Ehlinger, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted of raping a legislative intern in 2022, appeared for a critical hearing in the Idaho Supreme Court on Monday morning. Von Ehlinger’s attorney argues that improper testimony was allowed during his trial and that his Sixth Amendment rights were violated.

At the hearing on November 4, Von Ehlinger’s attorneys focused primarily on allegations related to the Sixth Amendment’s Confrontation Clause, with his defense team arguing that he had been denied the right to directly confront his accuser.

The prosecution’s case relied largely on the testimony of a forensic nurse who interviewed the victim after giving a brief statement but left the stand before cross-examination. Von Ehlinger’s attorneys argue that allowing the nurse to relay the victim’s account deprived the defense of a fair chance to question key testimony in the case.

The second argument made by von Ehlinger’s attorneys questions the scope of the forensic nurse’s testimony. They claim that questions put to the nurse led her to discuss specific details of the alleged assault that went beyond her medical expertise, so her testimony was intended to convey the alleged events rather than clinical observation.

But the state defended the trial court’s decision to include the nurse’s statement, arguing that it was necessary for medical purposes and did not exceed the limits of evidence.

Prosecutors also emphasized that Von Ehlinger’s defense did not object to this testimony during the trial and argued that they found it acceptable at the time.

If the Idaho Supreme Court sides with Von Ehlinger, he could be granted a new trial.