WE THANK YOU, BRIA. NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE ARE HEARING FROM THE FATHER OF RALPH JARRELL. THE TEEN WAS SHOT AND WOUNDED AFTER GOING TO THE WRONG HOUSE TO PICK UP HIS BROTHERS. KMBC NINES ANDY ALCOCK WAS AT TODAY’S COURT HEARING AND HE’S JOINING US LIVE NOW FROM CLAY COUNTY. ANDY. RIGHT. KELLY RALPH CHARLES, FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS PACKED THAT COURTROOM TODAY FOR A VERY BRIEF COURT HEARING. ALMOST ALL OF THEM WERE WEARING T SHIRTS, WHICH SAY RINGING A DOORBELL IS NOT A CRIME. HASHTAG JUSTICE FOR RALPH. 84 YEAR OLD ANDREW LESTER APPEARED IN COURT TODAY AND WALKED UP TO THE PODIUM IN FRONT OF A JUDGE USING A CANE. RALLS FATHER SAYS HE’S BEEN DOING SCHOOLWORK DURING HIS RECOVERY. HE EXPECTS RALPH WILL BE READY TO RETURN TO STALEY HIGH SCHOOL IN THE FALL. HE WANTS JUSTICE FOR HIS SON. HE DIDN’T DESERVE TO BE SHOT SO WHOEVER DID IT TO HIM DESERVES JUSTICE. THAT’S THAT’S WHAT JUSTICE MEANS. YOU KNOW, HE’S WRONG. AND WE NEED JUSTICE TO TO RIGHT THE WRONG. AND THAT MEANS PRISON TIME FOR YOU. YES. I MEAN, THE SHOOTER WAS TRYING TO KILL RALPH. I MEAN, IT’S OBVIOUS, RIGHT? HE SHOT HIM TWICE. RIGHT. THE INTENT WAS TO FINISH HIM OFF. SO, YEAH, WE NEED JUSTICE FOR THAT. AND RALPH’S FATHER DID COME ALL THE WAY FROM INDIANAPOLIS AND WAS HOPING FOR A LITTLE MORE SUBSTANCE FROM TODAY’S HEARING. HE DIDN’T GET IT, BUT HE DID SAY HE WILL RETURN IN THREE MONTHS WHEN EVIDENCE WILL BE PRESENTED AGAINST LESTER AT THE NEXT HEARING. REPORTING LIVE OUTSIDE THE CLAY COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN LIBERTY, ANDY ALCOCK, KMBC NINE NEWS. AND THAT PRELIMINARY HEARING HAS BEEN SCHEDUL
Ralph Yarl Shooting: Preliminary hearing dates set in Andrew Lester's case, Yarl's father attends hearing
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Updated: 6:41 PM CDT Jun 1, 2023
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled Andrew Lester, the man accused of shooting a Kansas City teenager who traveled to the wrong home to pick up his siblings. Lester, 84, attended the hearing and stood in front of the judge.The hearing will take place from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1, 2023. Today's court event was held two days after a Clay County Judge ordered that the case file be partially closed. Lester pleaded not guilty to first-degree assault and armed criminal action. Paul Yarl, Ralph's father, traveled to Clay County from Indianapolis on Thursday to attend the brief hearing. He was part of a group all wearing T-shirts saying "Ringing a Doorbell is not a Crime, #JusticeForRalph." Those friends and family packed the courtroom. Paul Yarl says his son is still recovering. "It's been tough," Paul Yarl said. "Yes, he's recovering, but it's still a long way to recovery. He still gets headaches and some pain and emotional scars. But he's he's coming along and he's not there yet. But we are thankful for the progress." In a Zoom briefing, family members and attorneys for Yarl expressed disappointment at the judge's decision to seal parts of the case. They say, only in exceptional cases, should information not be available to the public. His aunt Faith Spoonmore said the focus shouldn't be on Lester, but rather the effect the shooting has had on Ralph's life. "That's what we need to be talking about," Spoonmore said. "That is what the judge needs to understand Lester is suffering the consequences of his actions, Ralph is facing the consequences of being Black in America."More coverage of the Ralph Yarl shooting:Ralph Yarl's family thanks community during first major public appearance at annual brain injury runHome of suspect accused of shooting Kansas City teen Ralph Yarl vandalized'I think he needs help': Kansas City neighbor shares story of helping Ralph Yarl after shootingWhat we know about the shooting of KC teenager Ralph YarlRalph Yarl experiencing ‘intense headaches,’ still awaiting clearance to play musical instrumentAndrew Lester, accused of shooting 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, is out on bond according to court records
CLAY COUNTY, Mo. — A preliminary hearing has been scheduled Andrew Lester, the man accused of shooting a Kansas City teenager who traveled to the wrong home to pick up his siblings.
Lester, 84, attended the hearing and stood in front of the judge.
The hearing will take place from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1, 2023.
Today's court event was held two days after a Clay County Judge ordered that the case file be partially closed.
Lester pleaded not guilty to first-degree assault and armed criminal action.
Paul Yarl, Ralph's father, traveled to Clay County from Indianapolis on Thursday to attend the brief hearing. He was part of a group all wearing T-shirts saying "Ringing a Doorbell is not a Crime, #JusticeForRalph."
Those friends and family packed the courtroom.
Paul Yarl says his son is still recovering.
"It's been tough," Paul Yarl said. "Yes, he's recovering, but it's still a long way to recovery. He still gets headaches and some pain and emotional scars. But he's he's coming along and he's not there yet. But we are thankful for the progress."
In a Zoom briefing, family members and attorneys for Yarl expressed disappointment at the judge's decision to seal parts of the case.
They say, only in exceptional cases, should information not be available to the public.
His aunt Faith Spoonmore said the focus shouldn't be on Lester, but rather the effect the shooting has had on Ralph's life.
"That's what we need to be talking about," Spoonmore said. "That is what the judge needs to understand Lester is suffering the consequences of his actions, Ralph is facing the consequences of being Black in America."
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