Request for new prosecutor in Breonna Taylor case denied

A new special prosecutor will not be assigned to the Breonna Taylor case.

On Friday (Dec. 4), the Kentucky Prosecutors Advisory Council voted unanimously to decline the request from Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother, for a new prosecutor to be appointed to her daughter’s case, according to the Courier-Journal.

The decision was announced during a Zoom call, which had over 200 participants. Following their decision, the public immediately unmuted their mics and spoke out against the judgement. “Opposed!” said one woman, although she was not a voting member. “You’re wrong, and you know it,” said another voice. “You have the authority,” said a third person. “You’re scared.”

Chris Cohron, a council member and the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Warren County, said they weren’t authorized to make that decision. “We do not have the legal authority to fulfill the request that has been submitted,” he said.

Attorney Sam Aguiar, who represents Taylor’s family, says he believes the council misinterpreted state law and he will file to seek clarity on what powers the council actually holds. “If the court system were to come back and rule this is the mechanism to allow an aggrieved citizen to go and seek a new prosecutor, then obviously the PAC [Prosecutors Advisory Council] is going to have to really deliberate on the merits, rather than their authority,” he said.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron was widely criticized for how he mishandled Taylor’s case. Back in September, he announced that only one of three Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers would be charged with any crimes related to the night of Taylor’s death.

Since the charges were announced, three grand jurors have come forward saying Cameron and his office did not allow them to pursue homicide charges against former LMPD Detective Brett Hankison. Cameron said the officers were justified in their use of force during the shooting because Taylor’s boyfriend fired first.