KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A pair of white SUVs pulled alongside a curb neighboring the Jackson County Courthouse, and seven people wearing matching white T-shirts — Justice for Ariel — popped open their car doors.
In the backseat of the trailing vehicle, 6-year-old Ariel Young emerged last, gripping tightly the hand of her mother.
On a school-day afternoon, Ariel strode toward a downtown Kansas City courthouse with a slight but noticeable limp, one foot dragging behind and scratching her clean white Jordan tennis shoe across the asphalt. As she reached the entrance staircase, she grasped one family member’s hand to her left and another to her right, securing her balance. Her mother placed a hand on her hip, guiding her up each step.
