A jury sitting in Oregon delivered a verdict on Thursday that found former NBA player Ben McLemore guilty of rape and sexual abuse charges tied to a party he attended back in 2021 while he was still playing for the Portland Trail Blazers.
The trial, which ran for two weeks and concluded Tuesday in a Clackamas County courtroom, featured arguments from prosecutors claiming that McLemore, who is 32 years old, raped a woman who was 21 at the time and had lost consciousness from drinking too much.
McLemore, on his part, insisted that the encounter happened with the woman’s agreement during the early hours of October 3, 2021, at the home of his then-teammate, Robert Covington.
Verdict and Sentencing Details
According to a statement from the Clackamas County district attorney’s office, the jury reached a verdict that McLemore was guilty of first-degree rape, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, and second-degree sexual abuse. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
District Attorney John Wentworth commented in a public statement that his office does not give special treatment to famous people. He emphasized that this outcome shows that people in Clackamas County will face charges no matter their public image or professional status.
Kris Winemiller, one of McLemore’s lawyers, mentioned in an email on Thursday that she and her co-counsel Lisa Maxfield would hold off on commenting until after the sentencing takes place. During Tuesday’s closing statements, Maxfield addressed the jury and stated that the appropriate verdict would be not guilty.
She described it as a case involving two adults who were drunk and had sex, suggesting that McLemore was more intoxicated than the woman.
Last year, McLemore issued a statement denying the accusations. He stated clearly, “I did not rape this woman. I am not sexually abusive. I have never pursued a sexual relationship when I understood the woman was not interested in me and acting willingly.”
Prosecution’s Argument and Victim Testimony
According to the district attorney’s office, prosecutor Scott Healy informed the jury that the woman was more intoxicated on the night in question than at any other point in her life.
Reports from witnesses revealed that she vomited earlier that evening and was struggling to speak clearly, move steadily, and even keep her head upright. By about 2 a.m., she had passed out on a couch in the living room, and McLemore later slept on the same couch.
Details provided by the district attorney’s office indicate that around 6 a.m., the woman partially woke up while McLemore was digitally penetrating her and then went on to have sex with her.
Later that same day, she reportedly visited a medical facility to undergo a sexual assault examination. While giving testimony in court, the woman told jurors that McLemore should face responsibility for his actions.
