Lawyers start picking jurors for War Machine trial

Former MMA fighter Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine, right, gets instructions from defense attorney Brandon Sua during the first day of jury selection in Koppenhaver's trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Former MMA fighter Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine, right, waits for potential jurors to enter the room with defense attorney Brandon Sua, left, during the first day of jury selection in his trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Defense attorney Brandon Sua, left, Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine, and defense attorney Jay Leiderman listen to the remarks from the prosecution during the first day of Koppenhaver's trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine, left, speaks with defense attorney Jay Leiderman while they wait for potential jurors to enter the courtroom during the first day of Koppenhaver's trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Prosecutor Jacqueline Bluth addresses Judge Elissa F. Cadish during the opening day of Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine's trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Defense attorney Brandon Sua, left, Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine, and defense attorney Jay Leiderman wait for potential jurors to enter the courtroom during the first day of Koppenhaver's trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Former MMA fighter Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine, right, sits with defense attorney Brandon Sua during the first day of jury selection in Koppenhaver's trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Former MMA fighter Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine, listens to his defense team during the first day of jury selection in his trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Former MMA fighter Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine, middle, listens to his defense team during the first day of jury selection in his trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Former MMA fighter Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine, right, and defense attorney Brandon Sua wait for potential jurors to enter the courtroom during the first day of jury selection in Koppenhaver's trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Defense attorney Jay Leiderman listens to remarks from the prosecution during the first day of former MMA fighter Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine's trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Judge Elissa F. Cadish addresses the prosecution during the opening day of Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine's trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Former MMA fighter Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine, right, shares a laugh with defense attorney Brandon Sua during the first day of jury selection in his trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Former MMA fighter Jonathan Koppenhaver, right, aka War Machine, walks into the courtroom during the first day of jury selection in his trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Former MMA fighter Jonathan Koppenhaver, aka War Machine, listens to jury instructions during the first day of jury selection in his trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

Defense attorney Brandon Sua, left, addresses the court during the first day of jury selection in Jonathan Koppenhaver, middle, aka War Machine's trial where he faces 34 charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic battery and sexual assault stemming from an incident with his former girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at the Regional Justice Center, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

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By DAVID FERRARA LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

February 27, 2017 - 6:31 pm

With national media watching, jury selection started Monday in the trial of a former mixed martial arts fighter known as War Machine, who is accused of beating and sexually assaulting a former girlfriend.

Potential jurors filled courtroom 15B at the Regional Justice Center for what’s scheduled for a weeklong process. But none of those called to court so far said they knew of the 35-year-old defendant, also known as Jonathan Koppenhaver, or the woman he is accused of attacking, adult film actress Christine Mackinday.

Lawyers are tasked with selecting 16 people for the jury panel, including four alternate jurors.

Prosecutors have alleged that Koppenhaver severely beat the former adult film actress, whose working name is Christy Mack, and her friend Corey Thomas. Koppenhaver faces 34 counts and the possibility of life in prison.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal typically does not identify victims of sex crimes, but Mackinday has spoken publicly about the abuse.

Las Vegas police said Koppenhaver attacked Mackinday and Thomas in her home near the Las Vegas National Golf Club in August 2014.

Koppenhaver choked and punched Thomas for nearly 10 minutes before telling him to leave and instructing him not to call police, authorities have said.

Mackinday suffered a blowout fracture of her left eye and several other broken bones in her face, two missing teeth, a lacerated liver, broken ribs and serious bruising in several places.

Jurors are expected to hear evidence that Jonathan Koppenhaver and Mackinday had discussed a rape fantasy before she was beaten and sexually assaulted in 2014.

In a previous court hearing, Mackinday told a judge that Koppenhaver often bragged that “real men rape.”

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.