While the Kansas Court of Appeals recently reversed the conviction of a former Buhler debate coach and ordered the case back to District Court, the state and the defense have filed a petition for review by the Kansas Supreme Court.

70-year-old Richard Young was sentenced to over 13-years in prison after being convicted in October of 2008 on one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, two less severe counts of indecent liberties, and indecent solicitation. The convictions are in association with the sexual abuse of a South Korean foreign exchange student in August of 2007.

Young has always maintained his innocence and appealed saying the court erred when they allowing prior bad acts testimony from Young’s stepsons. That alleged abuse occurring some 30-years earlier. The state presented evidence of the three stepsons who testified to being molested by Young when they were young. One said he has been molested starting when he was 10-years-old and continued until he was 15-or-16. The defense appealed citing the language in the law, however, the state legislature addressed these issues over another Reno County case. That being John Prine who was also convicted in a child sex case using prior bad acts testimony. Prine appealed and won the appeal. But, the state at the second trial used virtually the same evidence and he was again convicted. His case is again on appeal.

Young Attorney David Moses argued that he believes the case is back to where they were prior to Young being convicted and wanted the bond reinstated to 75-thousand dollars. He implied that during trial, the state had now retired Judge Richard Rome in there hip pocket and Young was not given a fair trial. District Attorney Keith Schroeder called Young a “sexual predator” and believes they were justified in using the testimony of his stepsons over what he called “Strikingly similar” acts.

Judge Trish Rose wasn’t willing to lower it to 75-thousand, but did cut the half-million dollar bond set by Judge Rome at 250-thousand dollars.

Both sides are still waiting for word on whether the Supreme Court will review the case and reverse the appeals court. Moses says he believes that is unlikely and believes the case will come back to District Court.