Former NBA player Ben McLemore has been sentenced to 100 months behind bars. He was convicted of the rape and sexual assault of a 21-year-old woman at an Oregon house party in 2021. The shooting occurred at the residence of Robert Covington, then a teammate of Jones on the Portland Trail Blazers. The meritless ruling, initially issued by a Clackamas County judge, relied upon arcane procedural matters.
McLemore was charged with four counts of aggravated assault with intent to kill and filed a not guilty plea. All through the trial, McLemore’s lawyers claimed that the victim had been the first to make sexual contact and had consented to it. After consuming excessive quantities of alcohol, the victim passed out on the living room couch around 2 a.m. When she awoke, she found a random stranger abusing her and, unfortunately, McLemore sexually assaulting her.
The case took a dramatic twist when U.S. Marshals arrested McLemore at the hearing. This occurred just two months after a Clackamas County grand jury returned an indictment and arrest warrant in February 2024. His long absence from the court proceedings was a cause for concern. This was compounded by his status as a perimeter player, particularly as a former seventh overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, and the Jayhawk’s pedigree.
Scott Healy, a representative from the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, expressed hope that the outcome of this case would inspire others who have experienced similar assaults to come forward.
“Hopefully the victim’s strength and courage in this case will give others the fortitude to come forward in circumstances where sexual assault has occurred,” – Scott Healy
Healy reiterated that the sentence was intended to be a message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated in the community.
During that sentencing, McLemore — who appeared via video from Clackamas County Jail in inmate garb — did not speak to the court. The victim participated through video. She delivered a beautifully-written statement that articulated her painful and difficult journey since the attack.
“This has been the longest almost four years of my life. I never imagined that reporting this back in 2021 would lead to such an incredibly difficult and long journey,” – Victim
She spoke candidly about her challenges in facing the trauma that she had endured. She highlighted the challenges that victims face when trying to report these types of incidents.
“These last few years have often felt like a weight that I’ve had to drag behind me, a constant reminder of the trauma that I haven’t been able to fully work through because there was no ending in sight,” – Victim
So the Clackamas County DA’s Office fought hard to prosecute McLemore and ensure justice was served for the victim. The case has raised important issues about the difficulty victims have speaking out against alleged sexual assailants.
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