The attorney for the elderly white man accused in the shooting and injury of a Black teen who accidentally knocked on his door last Spring has made yet another argument in favor of stifling the legal process against his client.
This time, it’s a request a psychiatric evaluation.
Attorney Steve Salmon filed a motion Tuesday on behalf of 85-year-old Andrew Lester alleging the ol’ man needs a psychological examination because his client may not be competent to understand the proceedings against him or participate in his own defense.
Lester is facing criminal charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action after the shooting and injuring of then-16-year-old Ralph Yarl on April 13, 2023, according to The AP.
Yarl spoke out in an interview, explaining he arrived at Lester’s home that evening by mistake, looking for his siblings. After knocking on the door, he said Lester shot at him from behind the glass screen door and said “Don’t come here ever again.” Ralph sustained an injury to his head and arm but has since made a phenomenal recovery.
Lester’s attorney originally sustained his client shot at Yarl in self-defense. Now, he argued Lester’s “frailty” will affect his ability to move forward in the legal process. Salmon’s motion states Lester’s conditions have “deteriorated” since the incident, both mentally and physically, per The AP. Lester has also undergone a series of hospitalizations for heart complications and a broken hip. Salmon also claimed his client has been struggling to remember key facts about the case and thinks every pretrial hearing is the real trial.
According to Missouri law, if a judge has reasonable cause to believe a defendant lacks “mental fitness” to proceed upon a motion filed, they may decide the defendant should be held in the custody of a hospital facility for treatment, as Salmon requested. Prosecutors, as expected, argue the issues brought forth by the defense don’t hold enough weight to warrant an evaluation, per FOX 4 KC.
Lester’s next hearing to address this issue is Sept. 6. His trial is scheduled for Oct. 7. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
