Department of Justice drops prosecution in Louisville officer's murder trial, citing lack of evidence
The Justice Department has filed motions with U.S. District Court seeking dismissal of civil rights charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith and Assistant Attorney General James Cole, who are leading the investigation into Officer Joshua Jaynes' role during a 2019 raid on Breonna Taylor's apartment in Louisville that resulted in her death six years ago; prosecutors argue they cannot prove officers falsified their warrant or acted with intent to harm.
Key Points
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1The Justice Department has moved to dismiss federal criminal charges against two former Louisville police officers.
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2Federal prosecutors are seeking the dismissal of civil rights and falsifying warrant-related cases connected to Breonna Taylor's death, a case that occurred six years ago in August. The DOJ is asking for these proceedings to be dropped as part of its review process regarding how it handled similar past investigations involving law enforcement misconduct.
Developments
The U.S. DOJ filed a motion with prejudice to dismiss criminal civil rights charges against ex-Louisville police officer Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany regarding Breonna Taylor's 2021 death, following prior court rulings that reduced the felony allegations from their pending case in Louisville federal courts on two separate occasions