Nathan Chasing Horse, the former actor from the film 'Dances with Wolves', was ordered out of a Las Vegas courtroom on Monday after causing a disruption. The incident occurred just one week before his high-profile trial on multiple sexual abuse charges is set to begin.
Courtroom Confrontation Leads to Removal
Judge Jessica Peterson was forced to have Chasing Horse removed from the proceedings after he repeatedly tried to speak over her. The defendant demanded the right to dismiss his current defence attorney, Craig Mueller, alleging that Mueller had not visited him and had failed to file documents in a timely manner. Chasing Horse requested that a public defender who had previously represented him be appointed instead.
Mueller, a private defence lawyer, informed the court that his client was prepared for trial. He also stated privately to Judge Peterson that an investigator from his team had met with Chasing Horse. Mueller declined to comment further when approached by The Associated Press.
Background of the Case and Serious Allegations
Nathan Chasing Horse has pleaded not guilty to a total of 21 charges. These include allegations of sexually assaulting women and girls, and one count of filming himself sexually abusing a girl under the age of 14. Prosecutors assert that over a period of two decades, he exploited his standing as a purported spiritual leader and medicine man to prey upon Native American women and girls.
Best known for playing Smiles A Lot in the 1990 Oscar-winning film 'Dances with Wolves', Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. Following his acting role, prosecutors claim he began presenting himself as a Lakota medicine man, travelling across North America to conduct healing ceremonies. At the time of his arrest in 2023, he was reportedly living in a North Las Vegas residence with five wives.
A Long Road to Trial
The case has reverberated throughout Native American communities. An original indictment was dismissed in 2024 after the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors mishandled the grand jury process by presenting a definition of 'grooming' as evidence without expert testimony. However, the court allowed for charges to be refiled, leading to a new indictment later that same year.
Prosecutors allege Chasing Horse led a group known as 'The Circle', whose followers believed he could communicate with spirits. According to grand jury transcripts, his alleged victims sought him out for medical assistance.
Judge Peterson has confirmed the jury trial will proceed as scheduled next Monday. Prosecutors anticipate the proceedings will last for approximately three weeks.
