Federal Judge Dismisses Charges in Taylor Case

A federal judge has dismissed felony charges against two former Louisville police officers, Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany, in the Breonna Taylor case, ruling that the legal cause of her death was her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, firing at police rather than the officers' warrantless entry. U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson stated that there is no direct link between the officers' actions and Taylor's death, emphasizing that Walker's decision to shoot prompted the police's return fire that killed her. The judge reduced the charges against Jaynes and Meany, which had carried maximum sentences of life in prison, to misdemeanors, although they still face conspiracy and false statement charges. Taylor was shot and killed during a botched raid in March 2020, and no drugs or money were found in her home. Walker, who believed intruders were entering his home, initially faced serious charges but those have since been dropped. The ruling has reignited discussions about police accountability and the use of no-knock warrants.