Opinion ID: 6330774
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Count III (S.Q.)

Text: Count III charged Keepseagle with child abuse of S.Q., in violation of South Dakota Codified Law § 26-10-1, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1153. At trial, S.Q. testified about an incident that occurred around the time of the powwow when she was 11 years old in which Keepseagle got angry with her, grabbed her by the ears, and lifted her into the air. -16- On appeal, Keepseagle challenges S.Q.’s testimony as not credible given that no one substantiated her account. “Appellate courts are not well-equipped to evaluate a jury’s reasoning when making its credibility findings. The jury is the final arbiter of the witnesses’ credibility, and we will not disturb that assessment. As such, a jury’s credibility determinations are virtually unassailable on appeal.” United States v. Never Misses A Shot, 781 F.3d 1017, 1026 (8th Cir. 2015) (cleaned up). Whether S.Q. was credible was for the jury to determine, and we will not disturb its determination. See id. As a result, the district court did not err in denying Keepseagle’s motion for judgment of acquittal on Count III.