Jury selection underway in misdemeanor animal cruelty trial

Jury selection began on Monday in the case of a former McHenry man who says his outward support of President Donald Trump led neighbors to falsely accuse him of beating his dog.

During a line of questioning Monday, 49-year-old Michael Braun asked potential jurors about the movie "Cujo," how they voted in the 2016 presidential election, and whether they have any association with "the far left animal rights group" American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Since April 2017, Braun has been faced with charges of animal cruelty, disorderly conduct and neglecting animal owner duties. Each of alleged offenses is a misdemeanor that typically results in less than one year in jail.

Braun has chosen to represent himself in court, meaning he’ll be responsible for questioning witnesses and arguing on his behalf. A representative from the McHenry County Public Defender’s Office will be present throughout the trial to help Braun with procedural questions.

McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks was among the group of potential jurors, but was dismissed Monday based on a pending lawsuit in which he’s named as a respondent.

Braun began his questioning of the jury pool by showing material that, upon his own request, previously had been barred from trial.

Addressing the potential jurors Monday, Braun held up two editions of the Northwest Herald and asked if anyone in the group had read about him in the newspaper. Both issues included articles that detailed Braun's prior run-ins with law enforcement. In 2018, Braun tried to have his case moved to another county, claiming news coverage of the charges would prevent him from receiving a fair trial. McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt denied the request.

Braun also elicited an objection from prosecutors when he inquired whether any member of the jury pool had seen the movie "Cujo." The 1983 film based on a Stephen King novel about a rabid St. Bernard bore no relevance to the case, prosecutors said.

“It was about a crazy dog,” Braun replied. “And this case is about a crazy dog.”

The charges against Braun stem from April 14, 2017, allegations that he beat one of his dogs with a garbage can lid. He has denied the accusations and said he was only breaking up a fight between his German shepherd dog and English mastiff. He further claimed that the allegations against him were filed in retaliation for his unabashed support for Trump.

“Do any of you folks hate Donald Trump?” Braun asked the potential jurors.

Several people raised their hands.

At the time the charges were filed, Braun lived in a house on North Lillian Street in McHenry. Decorated with a Confederate flag and other memorabilia, Braun's property grabbed the attention of neighbors, who according to him, conspired against him based on his political beliefs.

Braun long has maintained he was targeted by an anti-Trump Facebook group that reported what he called false reports of animal abuse.

McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt, however, didn’t allow Braun’s questioning of potential jurors’ voter history or political party affiliations.

“This trial is not about President Trump,” Gerhardt said.

The trial is expected to resume Tuesday, with final jury selections in the morning and potential testimony in the afternoon.