LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The trial of alleged cult leader Nathan Chasing Horse is on hold indefinitely after a Nevada judge granted a stay on the case Wednesday morning.
The former “Dances With Wolves” actor was charged in Nevada after allegations against Chasing Horse revealed decades of abuse against Indigenous women and girls. Chasing Horse was originally set to stand trial on May 1 after a grand jury charged him with 18 felonies, including sexual assault of a minor, kidnapping, lewdness and child abuse.
Chasing Horse's public defender, Kristy Holston, asked to put a pause on proceedings while she appealed a previous motion in the Nevada Supreme Court, which asked to toss the indictment.
Holston and other defense attorneys told Clark County District Judge Carli Kierny during the hearing that the indictment was faulty. They also claimed that several of the victims actually engaged in consensual sex with Chasing Horse.
On Friday, Judge Kierny dismissed a drug trafficking charge against Chasing Horse, but allowed other sexual abuse-related charges to remain. In her ruling, she stated that the prosecution presented enough evidence for “a reasonable grand juror to conclude that the sexual assaults occurred."
A new trial date will be set for Chasing Horse if the Supreme Court upholds Kierny's recent decision, denying the defense's request to dismiss the case. A status check was set for May 10 for Kierny to review any updates or potential rulings from the high court.
Chasing Horse is currently being held at Clark County Detention Center on $300,000 bail and is prohibited from interacting with "alcohol, drugs, firearms and minors," according to a previous ruling.
