Day one is “in the books.” The possible 8-day trial started Tuesday with the selection of the jury.
Sharon Evans has been charged with one count of felony animal cruelty, and has pled ‘not guilty.’
Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge Michael Olsaver questioned over two dozen potential jurors until a panel was selected. They were asked questions that served the purpose of determining if they could be fair and impartial in their judgement of the case based on evidence presented.
Potential jurors were questioned starting at around 9:45am Tuesday. After two hours and fifteen minutes of questioning, the courtroom took an hour and a half break for lunch. Once the jury selection resumed at 1:34pm, it only took 31 minutes to complete the selection of jurors.
Chief Assistant Prosecutor Angela Borders told reporters at the end of ‘day one’ that she was anticipating a long jury selection due to media coverage of the case, people’s strong feelings about animals, and the length of the trial.
After the jury was selected, Borders gave her opening statement, outlining her team’s goals of the case. The Defense chose not to give an opening statement.
At about 2:50pm, after a brief recess, the first witness was called to the stand: Detective Kevin Greca.
Chief Assistant Prosecutor Borders then played body camera footage of a search of Evan’s property on December 21st, 2017. The officers were investigating a potential fraud charge, and also executing a kennel inspection.
Evans had a 2017 Lenawee County kennel license for 50 dogs.
Officer body camera footage showed Evans and the officers looking around the property on Shepherd Road, in Rome Township.
During the search of the property, officers observed that several water dishes had frozen water in them, due to cold temperatures, and several kennels that were not cleaned for at least a few days.
Detective Greca, while on the stand, said that food supply for the dogs was not a main concern at the property… but the lack of non-frozen water, cleanliness of the dog kennels, and shelter conditions were a main concern.
Towards the end of the body camera footage that was shown in the courtroom Tuesday afternoon, an outdoor space where a couple of dogs were being kept also had two deer carcasses and dead chickens. Reasons that they were on the property were not clear based on body camera footage.
Over an hour of body camera footage was shown Tuesday.
Chief Assistant Prosecutor Angela Borders told reporters after day one that there are three different days of video that she is anticipating to show. She said that those videos show additional problems and more of the same, and that there are multiple witnesses and over 100 photographs that she plans to produce.
Proceedings will continue in the courtroom of Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge Michael Olsaver at 10:30am Wednesday, August 7th.
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