Prosecutors push back against proposed delay in Independence murder trial for Larry Acree

An Independence man accused of first-degree murder needs surgery before court proceedings can continue, his lawyers said, but prosecutors pushing for an earlier trial date said there is no basis to postpone court events.

Larry Acree, 70, is accused of fatally shooting a police officer and court worker during an eviction at his home in February. In recent court filings, his lawyers said they will be requesting a trial setting at least two years out while Acree receives medical attention.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said in court documents filed Monday that the state is requesting a trial date around 18 months from August. While the state agrees Acree should receive the medical care he needs, the defense doesn’t have cause to delay the trial date, she said in her response.

The defense failed to provide a timeline for the medical treatments and is making a blanket request to postpone the proceedings, Baker argued.

“This lack of specificity should give the Court zero confidence in the necessity of a stay,” Baker wrote in her response.

Acree’s lawyers cite his medical history in their filing, saying he suffers from several serious medical conditions. While the medical conditions were redacted in the motion and are not public record, Acree’s lawyers said in court documents that the medical treatments requested — including three surgeries — are constitutionally mandated.

As of Tuesday, a judge has not yet ruled on the defense’s motion to indefinitely postpone legal proceedings in the high-profile case.

Acree faces 18 felony charges in the shooting that killed Independence police officer Cody Allen and Jackson County civil process server Drexel Mack on Feb. 29. Those charges include two counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of first-degree assault and nine counts of armed criminal action.

Prosecutors announced in May they were seeking the death penalty in Acree’s case.

Acree is due to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 3 in Division 60 of Jackson County Circuit Court. He remains in custody in the Jackson County Jail on a $2 million cash bond.