LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — After four days of jury selection, a panel has been chosen in the trial of Nathan Chasing Horse, clearing the way for opening statements to begin next week.
A total of 16 jurors were seated by the end of proceedings Friday, 12 jurors and four alternates. The panel includes four men and 12 women. The trial is expected to begin with opening statements on Tuesday after the holiday weekend.
WATCH | Four days of questioning, a jury is finally selected
Chasing Horse is accused of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls over a span of more than a decade. Prosecutors allege he used his reputation as a Lakota spiritual leader and healer to gain trust and control over his alleged victims.
During jury selection, attorneys questioned potential jurors on a range of sensitive topics to determine whether they could remain fair and impartial in a case involving allegations of sexual abuse.
Prosecutors focused heavily on jurors’ views of law enforcement, asking whether they believe there are good and bad people in every profession. They also questioned potential jurors about expectations surrounding how victims of crime should behave, and whether jurors might automatically doubt someone who reports sexual assault.
Additional questions explored jurors’ reactions to hearing the word “rapist” and whether they believe someone can still be a victim of a crime committed by a person they love.
The defense, meanwhile, emphasized the presumption of innocence and the requirement that the state prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Defense attorneys asked jurors whether they could listen to all of the evidence before forming an opinion, and whether anyone had concerns about Chasing Horse’s past work as an actor in feature films.
Jurors were also asked whether they could fairly consider evidence involving polygamy, which defense attorneys noted is sometimes practiced within Sioux culture and is relevant to the case, as well as Chasing Horse’s role as a spiritual leader who practices traditional medicinal knowledge.
Chasing Horse faces multiple felony charges, including sexual assault of a minor, first-degree kidnapping of a minor, and the use of a minor in producing pornography. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
