The Nevada Supreme Court has ordered the dismissal of a sprawling sex abuse indictment against Nathan Chasing Horse, while leaving open the possibility of charges being refiled in a case that sent shockwaves throughout Indian Country and led to more criminal charges in the U.S. and Canada.

The full seven-member court’s decision, issued Thursday, reverses earlier rulings upholding the charges by a three-member panel of the high court and a state judge. Proceedings in the 18-count criminal case have been at a standstill for more than a year while the former “Dances with Wolves” actor challenged it.

Kristy Holston, the deputy public defender representing Chasing Horse, had argued that some evidence presented to the grand jury, including an improper definition of grooming that was presented without expert testimony, had tainted the state’s case. Holston said prosecutors also failed to provide the grand jury with exculpatory evidence, including inconsistent statements made by one of the victims.

The high court agreed.

“The combination of these two clear errors undermines our confidence in the grand jury proceedings and created intolerable damage to the independent function of the grand jury process,” the court said in its scathing order.

Holston declined to comment further. Prosecutor Stacy Kollins did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

The ruling directs the judge overseeing the case in Clark County District Court to dismiss the indictment without prejudice, meaning the charges can be refiled.

“The allegations against Chasing Horse are indisputably serious, and we express no opinion about Chasing Horse’s guilt or innocence,” the order says.

Chasing Horse’s lawyer had also had argued that the case should be dismissed because, the former actor said, the sexual encounters were consensual. One of his accusers was younger than 16, the age of consent in Nevada, when the alleged abuse began, authorities said.

The 48-year-old has been in custody since his arrest last January near the North Las Vegas home he is said to have shared with five wives. Inside the home, police found firearms, 41 pounds of marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms, and a memory card with videos of sexual assaults, CBS News previously reported. Police said that at least two of the women were underage when he married them: One was 15, police said, and another was 16. 

Chasing Horse is best known for portraying Smiles A Lot in the 1990 film “Dances with Wolves.” But in the decades since starring in the Oscar-winning movie, authorities said, he built a reputation as self-proclaimed medicine man among tribes and traveled around North America to perform healing ceremonies. An arrest warrant stated that he is believed to be the leader of a cult called “The Circle,” whose followers believe he can communicate with higher powers, CBS News previously reported.  

He is accused of using that position to gain access to vulnerable girls and women starting in the early 2000s. 

He also faces criminal sexual abuse charges in at least four other jurisdictions, including U.S. District Court in Nevada and on the Fort Perk Indian Reservation in Montana.
Tribal leaders voted to ban him from the Montana reservation in 2015, citing alleged trafficking and accusations of drug dealing, spiritual abuse and intimidation of tribal members. 

Las Vegas police arrested Chasing Horse in January 2023. The arrest helped law enforcement agencies in two countries corroborate long-standing allegations against the former actor. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that police in southern Alberta have been investigating his possible connection to past sexual assaults. 

A Bay Area political organizer hopes to raise hundreds of thousands to send more than 400 people to Nevada to knock on doors and rally supporters for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

Manny Yekutiel said that with 40 days left until election day, he hopes to garner enough support for Harris and vice presidential nominee Tim Waltz.

“Donald Trump could be our next president. He could win this election, and I don’t want to wake up on November 6 and think, what could I have done,” Yekutiel said. ‘I am firing on all cylinders.”

He added that in order to do so, he is raising $340,000 to send volunteers starting October 11.

In the four weekends leading up to November 5, Yekutiel will send close to 100 volunteers every weekend.

‘We have to do something. We have forty days until this election is over, and this is something very concrete that we can do,” he said.

Key swing states, like Nevada, have been determined by razor-thin margins in recent presidential elections, so this could all depend on who has the better ground operations.

According to an opinion issued by the Federal Elections Commission earlier this year, candidates and outside groups are allowed to work closely, though not fully coordinated, on voter turnout.

It’s something local Republicans admit the Democratic party has been more successful at.

“I think on the national level, I’m concerned about that advantage. On the other hand, I think President Trump is doing a pretty good job, and I think he’s going to pull it out in the end,” said John Dennis, the San Francisco GOP chair.

Dennis said the SF GOP is focused on local races, citing a shift in his more than 15 years with the county Republican party.

“In my time, we have more candidates on the ballot in San Francisco county for offices than I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Neild Park-McClintick of Silicon Valley Rising said the issue is not necessarily who to vote for but getting more people to vote.

“We have to bring more voters from our diverse communities to make sure that who’s in office, and the issues that are selected by voters too. The propositions that pass match what our community looks like,” Park-McClintick said.

The State of Nevada on Wednesday had $1.24 billion set aside for emergencies, meaning that its so-called “Rainy-Day Fund” is fully funded, according to officials.

“Fiscal responsibility is the backbone of our state budget, and fully funding the Rainy-Day Fund is an essential component of judicious state management,” said Gov. Joe Lombardo in a news release. “Our savings ensure that Nevadans can count on the State’s preparedness in times of economic uncertainty.”

Lombardo and State Treasurer Zach Conine announced that a transfer last week of $12.67 million from the general fund put the emergency fund over the top.

The officials said that the development points to Nevada’s “continued positive financial outlook” since the outset of the pandemic.

“Nevada continues to lead the nation in fiscal management as the State has now fully funded the Rainy-Day Fund,” Conine said in the release. “By having robust savings, we can ensure that Nevadans can continue to expect their government to deliver for them, especially in times of emergencies.”

The Lombardo office’s Economic Forum reported that “revenue collections” are trending upward and that Conine’s office “continues to generate record investment returns” for the general fund.

Nevada has one of the healthiest emergency fund balances, said the release, citing the PEW Charitable Trusts.

“In the event of an economic downturn, this means Nevada is exceptionally positioned to continue providing essential government services,” the release said.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.