War Machine Pleads Not Guilty to 32 Charges After Alleged Assault
Appearing in Las Vegas court on Wednesday, MMA fighter War Machine pleaded not guilty to all 32 charges against him, including kidnapping and assault.
War Machine, whose birth name is Jonathan Koppenhaver, was captured by law enforcement in Ventura County, California, in mid-August after several days on the lam. Koppenhaver is accused of attacking former girlfriend Christine Mackinday (aka "Christy Mack") several times over the last 15 months, reports Las Vegas' KVVU-TV. The most recent attack landed Mack in the hospital with "severe facial injuries as well as knocked-out teeth."
Is War Machine down for the count in this legal bout?
Facing 32 Felony Charges
When he appeared at his arraignment on Wednesday, War Machine was advised of the whopping 32 felony charges against him. Among these charges are:
- Attempted murder,
- Domestic battery by strangulation, and
- First-degree kidnapping and sexual assault.
According to ESPN, these charges stem from an alleged incident involving War Machine attacking Mack and a male friend at Mack's Las Vegas residence. These are serious charges, and even if War Machine is convicted of first-degree kidnapping, he may still face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Is He Really 'War Machine'?
ESPN reports that Koppenhaver legally changed his name to War Machine in 2008, and unless he was changing it to escape debt or to deceive others, it's probably legal.
However, Nevada's court system doesn't seem to keen on calling him "War Machine," as it lists him by his birth name. This is somewhat important since Koppenhaver has a prior conviction for attempting to commit battery with substantial bodily harm in 2012, according to ESPN.
How Did They Get Him Back to Vegas?
Although Koppenhaver only managed to flee from Vegas to SoCal, it may have required extradition to have him turned back over to the Vegas authorities. States are typically more than willing to extradite fugitives who flee to another state; it may have been a different story if War Machine had managed to flee the country.
However, War Machine actually waived his right to contest his transfer from California to Nevada before a California judge on Tuesday, reports KVVU. Now that he's in Las Vegas cops' custody, a judge has set no bail, meaning that he'll stay in jail until his preliminary hearing, currently set for October 17.
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Related Resources:
- Former UFC fighter War Machine charged with more felonies (The Associated Press)
- MMA Fighter 'War Machine' On the Run After Girlfriend's Beating (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
- Randy Quaid, Wife Will Not be Extradited: DOJ Request Denied (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
- 'Ice Road Truckers' Arrest: Prostitute Allegedly Kidnapped (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)