Nathan Chasing Horse removed from Las Vegas court before trial

Nathan Chasing Horse Faces Court Disruption Before Trial

Nathan Chasing Horse, the former “Dances with Wolves” actor accused of sexual abuse, was temporarily removed from court on Monday. He disrupted proceedings by demanding to fire his defense attorney just a week before his trial.

Judge Jessica Peterson in Las Vegas ordered that his jury trial proceed as scheduled next week.

Chasing Horse has pleaded not guilty to 21 charges. These include allegations of sexually assaulting women and girls, and filming himself abusing a girl younger than 14. Prosecutors claim he used his reputation as a spiritual leader to exploit Native American women and girls over two decades.

Judge Peterson ordered his removal from court after he attempted to speak over her. He argued that his attorney, Craig Mueller, did not visit him or file documents on time. He requested a public defender who had previously represented him.

Mueller, a private defense attorney, stated that his client was ready for trial. He privately informed the judge that one of his investigators had met with Chasing Horse. He declined to comment to The Associated Press.

Chasing Horse is best known for his role as Smiles A Lot in the 1990 film “Dances with Wolves.” He was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sicangu Sioux, part of the Lakota nation.

After his role in the Oscar-winning film, prosecutors allege that Chasing Horse began to present himself as a Lakota medicine man. He traveled across North America to perform healing ceremonies. When arrested in 2023, he was living in a North Las Vegas house with his five wives.

Janessa Lambert told CBS affiliate KLAS-TV last year that Chasing Horse sexually assaulted her in her British Columbia home in 2018 after their breakup. She described her feelings as “disgusted and gross.”

Lambert decided to report the incident to the police in 2022. She said the officer was skeptical but opened a file. The officer mentioned that unless Chasing Horse returned to Canada, “there’s nothing that we can do.”

“I remember feeling so defeated but happy that I did my part,” she told KLAS.

The case shocked many in Indian Country. The original indictment was dismissed in 2024 after the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors abused the grand jury process. They provided a definition of grooming as evidence without expert testimony. However, the court allowed for the possibility of refiled charges, leading to a new indictment later that year.

Prosecutors allege that Chasing Horse led a cult called The Circle. His followers believed he could communicate with spirits. Victims sought him out for medical help, according to a grand jury hearing transcript.

Prosecutors expect the trial to last three weeks, starting next Monday.