By Allison Peck
Lincoln County Commissioner Chris Bruns has pleaded not guilty to a first-offense DUI charge and requested a jury trial in connection with his August arrest.
Court records show Bruns waived his arraignment and entered a not guilty plea Sept. 30 through his attorney, Aaron Bishop. He also formally demanded a jury trial.
The case is being heard in Lincoln County Court, but the proceedings are being handled by officials from outside the county after local officials recused themselves.
Keith County Judge Joel Jay was appointed to oversee the case as special judge, while Keith County Attorney Randy Fair was appointed special prosecutor. The Nebraska Judicial Branch lists Lincoln County Court at the Lincoln County Courthouse in North Platte.
Bruns, 41, is charged with a Class W misdemeanor DUI. The charge stems from his Aug. 21 arrest by the Nebraska State Patrol near Sutherland.
According to information released following the arrest, troopers responded to a report of a possible impaired driver near a Sutherland restaurant. A trooper located Bruns behind the wheel of a running vehicle and arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was booked into the Lincoln County Detention Center. His bond was set at $2,500, with 10% required, and he was later released.
Bruns later publicly apologized for the incident during a Lincoln County Board of Commissioners meeting, calling his actions a “serious mistake.” He said he was taking responsibility for the DUI and was cooperating with the legal process.
The arrest also led to a dispute between Bruns and Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer over Bruns' conduct while being held at the county detention center. Kramer alleged Bruns verbally abused jail employees and threatened a detention officer's job. Bruns disputed those allegations and said he had questioned jail staff about inmate safety checks. Neither of those allegations resulted in a separate criminal charge against Bruns.
Bruns remains a member of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, where he represents District 4. He has served on the board since 2021.
A pretrial hearing in the DUI case is scheduled for 10 a.m. Nov. 13 in Lincoln County Courtroom 2.
The case remains pending. A not guilty plea is not a finding that the charge is unfounded; it means the case will proceed through the court process, with the state required to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.