Judge denies media ban ahead of cop's trial over Taylor raid
A judge has denied a request from a Louisville police officer who took part in the deadly 2020 raid on Breonna Taylor’s home to bar the media from part of his upcoming trial
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A judge on Thursday denied a request from a Louisville police officer who took part in the deadly raid on Breonna Taylor’s home to bar the media from part of his upcoming trial.
But Jefferson Circuit Judge Ann Bailey Smith ruled that the media can't bring cameras into the courtroom while individual prospective jurors are questioned ahead of the trial of former Officer Brett Hankison who was fired months after the March 13, 2020, raid.
Hankison wanted the media kept out of the courtroom during that phase of jury selection, which is set to begin Tuesday in Louisville. His attorney, Stewart Mathews, argued during a hearing this week that having reporters present during that phase could have a “chilling effect” on the prospective jurors being questioned.
Hankison’s motion was opposed by the Kentucky attorney general’s office and three news outlets: The Associated Press, the Courier Journal and WDRB-TV.
An attorney for the news outlets, Michael Abate, called the ruling “a significant win for transparency.”
“The public’s ultimate confidence in the verdict hinges on everyone knowing that a fair and impartial jury has been seated,” he said.
Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical worker, was shot to death by police who used a narcotics warrant to kick in her door. Her boyfriend, fearing an intruder, fired a shot that struck an officer before the police returned fire. No drugs were found in her home.
Hankison, who is the only officer who took part in the raid to be charged, will stand trial on three counts of wanton endangerment for allegedly shooting into an apartment next door to Taylor's that night. There will be no media restrictions once the trial begins.
Taylor’s case has resonated among Black Americans, partly because many believe that Black women who are killed by police receive less consideration than cases involving the extrajudicial killing of Black men. Taylor’s name and the names of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery — Black men who died in encounters with police and vigilantes — were rallying cries during the racial justice protests seen around the world in 2020.
When the Kentucky Attorney General announced in September of that year that no charges would be filed against officers for Taylor’s death, the decision stung many who believed the justice system would work in the ways it did in the Floyd and Arbery cases, which resulted in murder convictions.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.