Channing Lossiah, 22 was convicted on Tuesday, Oct. 29 in the Cherokee Court for one count of Domestic Violence Assault by Strangulation and one count of Domestic Violence Assault Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury. He received a sentence of 36 months of active incarceration on the first count and a suspended sentence of 36 months on the second count, from the Honorable Randle Jones, Cherokee Court Judge.
Lead Tribal Prosecutor Justin Eason stated, “This sentence sends a clear message that domestic violence is not tolerated in this community. I hope that this resolution will demonstrate to survivors of domestic violence that your trauma is real and is a serious concern to the Tribe; to those currently suffering in domestic violence relationships that you will be believed and you can get out of that situation; and to perpetrators of domestic violence that your actions will have consequences. You will be caught and you will be punished.”
He added, “I want to thank Det. Sgt. Neil Ferguson for his incredible dedication to this case which resulted in a high-quality investigation. All of the integrated pieces of our Domestic Violence program- law enforcement, prosecution, and victim services- worked together very well on this case, and the outcome speaks to that. While this case would have been appropriate for adoption in the Federal Court, the Cherokee Court was able to provide a speedy and just resolution in this case, and remains the most fair and sophisticated tribal court in the nation. This case shows that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians takes domestic violence offenses very seriously and will not hesitate to incarcerate those guilty of such crimes.”
– EBCI Office of the Tribal Prosecutor release
