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Sexual misconduct case against Pawnee artist moves to trial
Pawnee County District Court
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TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains material regarding sexual misconduct allegations involving a minor.
The criminal case against Native artist Walter “Bunky” Echo-Hawk is moving forward to a trial in Pawnee County, Oklahoma.
Associate District Judge Patrick Pickerill ruled earlier this week that after a preliminary hearing in December, the state had met the burden of proof to move forward.
Echo-Hawk is charged with lewd behavior with a child under 16 years and felony possession of juvenile pornography.
Echo-Hawk’s attorney, Dan Good, said in an email to ICT that from the beginning, they knew the case would need to be decided by a jury. He added he’s believed in “Echo-Hawk’s innocence since the first time I spoke to him.”
“The discovery, evidence, and preliminary hearing testimony has all supported my initial belief,” Good said. “In cases of this seriousness, jury trials are always high stakes and scary, but I believe when a jury sees all of the facts Mr. Echo-Hawk will be found not guilty.”
On the other hand, assistant district attorney Jeff Jones, the prosecutor on the case, believes the state has a good chance at conviction.
“I would not have filed charges if I did not believe that I had a good chance of a conviction at trial, plus winning the preliminary hearing makes it look like I have a good case,” Jones said in an email to ICT.
Echo-Hawk is known in Indian Country for his work relating to Native culture and hip-hop.
The next steps will be a formal arraignment of Echo-Hawk, where Good said he will enter a plea of not guilty.
After that, Good said, “the case will likely be set for motion hearings to sort out legal issues. From there the case will be set for jury trial.”
In a previous written statement from last August, Echo-Hawk said he is not guilty of the charges.
“I am shocked, bewildered and devastated by just the thought of this allegation — and like the false claims made against me previously — I am not guilty of what I have been accused of,” he said. “I eagerly look forward to proving my innocence in court, and simply request privacy for my family during this painful chapter of our lives.”
The earliest a trial date could be set is May 1, but both Good and Jones believe the trial is unlikely to start at that date and more likely to be set for the summer or fall.
