The Kansas City, Kansas man who reportedly shot Black teen Ralph Yarl for ringing his doorbell wants the courts to seal details from the public.
Attorneys for 84-year-old Andrew D. Lester claim since the April 13 shooting random people have harassed him, vandalized his home, and created the need for him to relocate several times as well as for his wife to move to a new nursing home.
The prosecution has responded to the defense request by saying the public has the right to know about the case in real-time.
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On April 19, Lester pled not guilty to first-degree assault and armed criminal action for the shooting. He is accused of shooting Yarl twice: once in the head and again after he fell and hit the porch floor.
The assault charge is a class A felony. If found guilty, the senior citizen could face no fewer than 10 years and up to 30 years or life in prison, possibly spending the rest of his life in prison, according to local station KCUR.
According to a probable cause statement, Lester told police he saw the 6-foot then-16-year-old standing on his porch at about 9:40 p.m. and was afraid because of his size. Yarl rang Lester’s doorbell after parking in his driveway while thinking the address at 115th Street was where he was supposed to pick up two of his younger brothers, but those boys were at an address on nearby 115th Terrace.
Lester’s attorney told Clay County Judge Louis Angles this week the only way Lester can have a fair trial is for the court to rule in his favor on concealing information regarding the case from the public.
Steven Salmon, the man’s attorney, said in the hearing his client has received threats and been labeled a racist by those angry about the incident.
The threats were linked to a “firestorm of inaccurate…
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