Clay County Judge Louis Angles said the case’s publicity led to threats against Andrew Lester, who his attorney says has been forced to move three times since he shot Yarl at his front door.
LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man accused of shooting a Black teenager who mistakenly came to his door last month is scheduled to be back in court Thursday, days after a judge ruled that court documents in the case will be sealed and kept from the public.
The hearing for 84-year-old Andrew Lester is to set new dates for future hearings in the case and is expected to be brief.
Lester has pleaded not guilty to first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the April 13 shooting of Ralph Yarl, who knocked on Lester’s door while trying to pick up his young brothers, who were at a home a block away.
Yarl, who has celebrated his 17th birthday since the shooting, suffered gunshot wounds to his head and wrist and continues to recover at home.
Lester remains free after posting $20,000 — 10% of his $200,000 bond.
The shooting drew international attention amid claims that Lester, who is white, received preferential treatment from investigators in the hours after he shot Yarl. President Joe Biden and several celebrities issued statements calling for justice for Yarl.
Lester admitted that he shot Yarl through the door without warning because he was “scared to death” he was about to be robbed by the Black person standing at his door.
On Tuesday, Clay County Judge Louis Angles granted a request from Lester’s attorney to seal the court documents, saying the publicity led to threats against Lester, who his attorney says has been forced to move three times. He also said the publicity has made it more difficult for the case to be heard before a fair and impartial jury.
“The overwhelming majority of the reporting continues to assert that the alleged actions of (Lester) were racially motivated, which if believed, virtually eliminates the defense available to (Lester) related to the reasonableness of his actions,” Angles wrote in the ruling.
Source: Judge seals records of white man who shot Ralph Yarl in the head after teen rang his doorbell
