Hearing to decide if mental exam needed as Andrew Lester’s trial nears in teen’s shooting
A Clay County judge scheduled a hearing to determine whether Andrew Lester should undergo a mental evaluation to determine if he is fit to stand trial in the high-profile shooting of Ralph Yarl.
Judge David Chamberlain, during a brief pretrial conference Friday morning at the Clay County Courthouse in Liberty, set the hearing concerning Lester’s mental health for 9 a.m. Sept. 9.
Lester appeared in court Friday, grasping his cane as his attorney and prosecutors agreed on the next court date.
Lester’s attorney, Steven Salmon, earlier this week filed a motion asking that his client be evaluated, saying there are signs Lester’s mental health is declining.
In response, Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson filed a motion asking that the judge determine whether there’s reasonable cause to believe that Lester lacks the mental fitness to proceed before ordering a mental evaluation.
Lester, who is white, faces one count each of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of Yarl, who is Black, after the teen mistakenly went to the wrong home in April 2023 in a neighborhood in Kansas City’s Northland to pick up his brothers.
After Yarl rang the doorbell, Lester allegedly went to the door and fired at Yarl, striking him twice. Lester told police he feared for his safety when he saw Yarl, who at the time of the shooting was 16.
The shooting grabbed widespread attention and prompted a national outrage, with many raising outcry about the shooting being racially motivated.
Lester’s trial is scheduled to begin in early October.
In the motion, Salmon described Lester as becoming frail due to declining physical health and unable to remember facts pertinent to his defense. Lester lives alone after his wife was placed in a nursing home.
Salmon said the “frailty” of the 85-year-old man’s health is due in part to a broken hip, heart issues and hospitalizations during the pending case. Lester has also faced “overwhelming media attention,” as well as death threats and unwanted attention. Salmon said he believes stress has resulted in Lester losing more than 50 pounds.
Salmon also contends he has noticed a reduction in Lester’s mental acuity, and said he fails to maintain focus in discussion and trial preparations.
In response, Thompson said prosecutors have been actively preparing for the October jury trial and are ready to proceed.
While acknowledging a defendant may not be tried unless they are competent to stand trial, Thompson said it’s up to the judge to decide whether there is reasonable cause to believe the defendant is not mentally fit to proceed. Thompson cited a previous ruling that a motion and attorney’s assertion the defendant is not fit to stand trial does not provide the judge with enough reasonable cause to order a mental health exam.
