PORTLAND, Ore. — A jury found former Portland Trail Blazer Ben McLemore guilty Thursday morning of the rape and sexual abuse of a 21-year-old woman at a Lake Oswego house party in October 2021.
McLemore, 32, previously pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree rape, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, and two counts of second-degree sexual abuse. The jury found him guilty on all counts, except one of the counts of sexual abuse.
The case went to the jury in Clackamas County on Tuesday afternoon following closing arguments by both sides. Prosecutors described the sexual encounter as rape, while the defense argued it was consensual.
The assault took place at the home of McLemore’s then-teammate, Robert Covington.
During the two-and-a-half-week trial, the woman testified she was incapacitated after a night of heavy drinking and unable to consent. McLemore admitted he had also been drinking but testified the sex was consensual. He told jurors there was no conversation between them before, during, or after the encounter, and he left the house immediately afterward.
In their final remarks to the jury on Tuesday, attorneys offered starkly different interpretations of the evidence.
“There’s absolutely no confusion in this case,” said Clackamas County prosecutor Scott Healy. “When you look at all the surrounding circumstances and you assess the evidence in this case, I submit to you that the defendant is guilty.”
Defense attorney Lisa Maxfield argued McLemore should be acquitted. “The only reasonable verdict in a case where two people get drunk and have sex and the man is drunker than the woman, the only reasonable verdict in a case like that is not guilty,” said Maxfield.
McLemore played one season with the Trail Blazers in 2021-2022 and has since played professionally overseas in Europe, China and Turkey.
If you or someone you know have experienced sexual assault and need support, help is available.
You can contact the Sexual Assault Resource Center, (503) 626-9100. They are located at 4900 SW Griffith Drive, Suite 135, Beaverton, OR 97005.
The Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN) National Sexual Assault Hotline can be reached at 800.656.HOPE (4673) or rainn.org. It is available 24/7.
