All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
19-year-old Mason Spoonhunter pled “not guilty” to the charge of felony assault by strangulation at his arraignment hearing held today, September 23, before US Magistrate Judge Scott P. Klosterman.
Spoonhunter faces the charge after reports that he strangled his girlfriend, who was eight months pregnant with his child at the time, while he was “blackout drunk” in a residence located on the Wind River Reservation, according to the original court filings. (You can read the initial breakdown of the case here.)
At today’s arraignment, a jury trial was scheduled for November 30. Spoonhunter remains detained following the hearing. No plea agreements have been filed as of this writing.
A felony assault by strangulation charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
County 10 will provide updates on the case as they become available, which can be viewed here.