Ex-cop's trial starts, accuser comes late

After hours of uncertainty a day earlier, the sex assault trial of a former police and state's attorney investigator got under way Tuesday as lawyers quizzed would-be jurors over their experiences with law enforcement, family ties and reading habits.

Attorneys hope to have 12 jurors and two alternates in place today to hear the trial of Leslie Lunsmann, a retired, award-winning law enforcement officer accused of assaulting a waitress at the McHenry bar he owns.

Lunsmann, 51, of McHenry, has pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, unlawful restraint and intimidation stemming from a July 2006 incident. The charges claim he locked the woman in an employee washroom at his Mulligan's Saloon, forcibly fondled her and threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

Whether the trial would even get this far appeared in jeopardy Monday when Lunsmann's accuser did not appear in court as required, leading to an emergency 24-hour delay in the proceedings.

After authorities tracked her down later Monday, the woman appeared in court Tuesday morning to hear Judge Sharon Prather warn her she could be jailed for contempt of court if she fails to show up again or refuses to testify.

Asked why she did not come to court Monday, the woman replied, "There's no reason. I was just nervous."

Lunsmann, who could face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty on all charges, worked as an investigator for former state's attorney Gary Pack during the 1990s. He received accolades and awards during that time for establishing anti-gang programs in the county.