Andrew Lester, the person charged within the April 2023 taking pictures of Ralph Yarl after {the teenager} mistakenly went to the incorrect home, acquired a brand new trial date on Tuesday, pending the end result of a psychological well being analysis, ABC’s Kansas Metropolis affiliate KMBC reported.
A Clay County decide rescheduled Lester’s trial, which was initially set for Oct. 7, to start on Feb. 18, 2025, in line with KMBC.
Previous to Tuesday’s listening to, Lester’s trial had been delayed indefinitely after the decide ordered on Sept. 9 that Lester endure a psychological well being examine to find out if he’s match to face trial in response to a movement filed by Lester’s lawyer Steven Salmon.
Salmon filed a movement within the Clay County Circuit Court docket on Aug. 27, requesting a psychological analysis to find out if Lester is match to face trial, in line with court docket paperwork obtained by ABC Information, the place he claimed that Lester is going through well being circumstances that might impair his capability to grasp authorized proceedings or help in his protection at trial.
The decide mentioned on Tuesday that Lester’s psychological analysis should be full by Nov. 9 and his subsequent listening to was set for Nov. 26, in line with KMBC.
ABC Information reached out to Lester’s lawyer however a request for remark was not instantly returned.
Yarl’s mom, Cleo Nagbe, informed ABC Information on Tuesday that the household is “grateful that somebody within the justice system is human {and professional} sufficient to place a date on these unending delays.”
“Each time the trial is postponed, that is delaying closure and therapeutic for us as a household and particularly Ralph.”
Lester, a white man, was charged with one depend of felony assault within the first-degree and one depend of armed felony motion, additionally a felony, within the taking pictures of Yarl, a Black teenager who mistakenly went to Lester’s Kansas Metropolis dwelling after arriving on the incorrect deal with to choose up his twin brothers from a play date. Lester pleaded not responsible in April 2023 and was launched on a $200,000 bond.
Reserving photograph supplied by the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Workplace of Andrew Lester.
Clay County Sheriff’s Workplace by way of AP, File
Yarl was shot within the head and in the proper arm on the night of April 13, 2023, by Lester, in line with police. The 18-year-old suffered a traumatic mind damage, his household beforehand informed ABC Information.
In accordance with court docket paperwork, Salmon mentioned within the movement that Lester has misplaced greater than 50 kilos, skilled points along with his reminiscence and has exhibited confusion surrounding the small print of the case.
“Over the course of this case, Counsel has seen a big decline in Defendant’s total bodily well being, in addition to his psychological acuity,” Salmon mentioned within the movement. “The frailty of Defendant’s bodily well being has, partly, been due to a damaged hip, coronary heart points and hospitalization he has suffered in the course of the pendency of this matter.”
Salmon additionally famous that Lester has confronted “stress” because of “overwhelming media consideration, in addition to dying threats and different undesirable consideration, making it tough for him to work together socially with anybody.”
Ralph Yarl, a Black 16-year-old who was shot and wounded by a house owner after mistakenly going to the incorrect home to choose up his siblings, holds a bass clarinet on this image obtained from social media.
Lee Merritt by way of Reuters
The trial was initially set after a Clay County decide dominated throughout an August 2023 preliminary listening to that there was sufficient possible trigger {that a} felony has been dedicated.
“The binding over of a defendant from a preliminary listening to is pretty regular. The prosecutor merely wants to supply possible trigger to bind the case over,” Salmon informed ABC Information after the August 2023 ruling.
