Sex Attack Priest Appears in Nevada Court
Pastor Dale Morgan
Sex Attack Priest Appears in Nevada Court*
Wednesday February 14, 2007 3:31 AM
By KEN RITTER
Associated Press Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) - A Roman Catholic priest accused of beating and sexually
assaulting a female employee at a southern Nevada parish office made his
initial court appearance in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
The Rev. George Chaanine stood shackled, wearing gray-blue jail scrubs,
as he was represented by a Clark County public defender during his brief
appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court.
Chaanine was not asked to enter a plea on charges including attempted
murder, sexual assault, kidnapping and battery that could result in a
sentence of life in prison if he is convicted.
The 52-year-old priest answered just one question, telling Justice of
the Peace Douglas Smith he could not afford to hire a lawyer. Diocese
administrators said Chaanine was responsible for his own defense.
He did not immediately seek bail. His court-appointed lawyer, Jeff
Banks, said he would do that in writing later. The judge set a
preliminary hearing for Feb. 27.
Chaanine is accused of hitting a church soloist over the head with a
wine bottle and attacking her Jan. 26 at the Our Lady of Las Vegas
Catholic Church office.
Banks said the priest, arrested Feb. 1 near Phoenix, was ``ready to face
these charges.''
``He's keeping his chin up in this most trying time of his life,'' he said.
Chaanine remained suspended with pay from his role as administrator at
the parish, in a neighborhood northwest of the Las Vegas Strip. He has
declined requests for interviews at the Clark County jail.
Prosecutors Lisa Luzsich and Mary Kay Holthus declined to comment.
Banks suggested he would challenge the validity of the claims by
Chaanine's accuser, a 54-year-old parish office worker.
``We have to take a very close look at the motivation for these
accusations,'' the defense lawyer said.
The woman told police she was beaten, groped and choked nearly into
unconsciousness before she started praying and Chaanine stopped. She
said he muttered that he was going to kill himself, told her to wait in
the church office for 15 minutes and left, according to a police report.
``We know who got injured, we know how she got injured, we know who fled
the scene, and who was a coward,'' the woman's attorney, Robert Massi,
said Tuesday, adding that the woman was ``psychologically and physically
recovering from her injuries.''
He accused the diocese of ignoring her, except to recently return her
belongings and inform her by letter she was no longer permitted to sing
at the church.
Diocese spokeswoman Rachel Wilkinson said the woman had not returned
several telephone messages left by diocese officials.