KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The attorney for Andrew Lester, the man charged with shooting teen Ralph Yarl back in April 2023, filed a motion that seeks to prevent Yarl from being referred to as a "victim" in court.
In the motion filed on Dec. 13, Lester's attorney, Steven B. Salmon, requested all parties to refrain from calling Yarl a “victim” throughout the trial, which is set for Feb. 18, 2025.
Salmon argued that using the word "victim" in reference to Yarl was "inappropriate for several reasons."
Salmon described the word as "argumentative" and that the prosecution removes the "fact-finding job" from the jury when Yarl is called a "victim."
Lester's legal team is claiming self-defense and points to Missouri's Castle Doctrine, commonly known as the "stand your ground" law.
Lester faces felony first-degree assault and felony armed criminal action charges in connection to the April 13, 2023, shooting of Yarl.
The then 16-year-old arrived at Lester’s doorstep in the Northland mistakenly in an attempt to pick up his siblings, who were one block away at a different home.
Yarl has since graduated from Staley High School and became one of the few students nationwide to achieve the National Merit Commended Award, which is given to students who score in the top 3% on the preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship qualifying test.
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