Oregon jury convicts ex-NBA player McLemore of raping woman at team party
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The jury in Clackamas County, south of Portland, found McLemore, 32, guilty of rape, unlawful sexual penetration and one count of sexual abuse. He was found not guilty on another count of sexual abuse, Portland television station KGW reported.
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Sentencing was scheduled for Wednesday.
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'We recognize there are those who fear individuals with celebrity status or a position of prominence can avoid prosecution. Not in Clackamas County. This case demonstrates my office prosecutes criminal acts regardless of the offender's community status,' District Attorney John Wentworth said in a statement.
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The charges stemmed from a party Oct. 3, 2021, at the Lake Oswego home owned by his Trail Blazers teammate Robert Covington.
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Prosecutors claimed during the trial that the sexual encounter was rape, while McLemore's attorney countered it was consensual sex.
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The woman said she was incapacitated after a night of heavy drinking and was unable to give consent. Prosecutors submitted photos of the woman hovering over a toilet and then passed out on a couch, The Oregonian/Oregon Live earlier reported.
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She said she woke up at one point during the rape and froze in terror.
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'I don't know who this person is,' she testified. 'This is a random person that is doing something like this to me.' The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of sexual assault.
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At one point, she said she let her body slide to the floor in an effort to stop the assault. The woman testified McLemore pulled her back onto the couch and continued.
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McLemore testified he was also drinking but claimed the sex was consensual. He also said he and the woman did not have a conversation before, during or after the act, after which he immediately left the home.
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One of his attorneys, Kris Winemiller, said McLemore left after receiving an angry message from his then-wife, who tracked him and wanted to know why he wasn't in their own Lake Oswego home.
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Clackamas County prosecutor Scott Healy said there was no confusion. '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,' he said during closing arguments Tuesday.
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