Kentucky Attorney Daniel Cameron wants to stop the release of grand jury documents after an unidentified juror filed a motion to publicize the grand jury proceedings. On Wednesday (Oct. 7), Cameron filed a response to the motion asking the court to dismiss the juror’s request.
“As I’ve stated prior, I have no concerns with a grand juror sharing their thoughts or opinions about me and my office’s involvement in the matter involving the death of Ms. Breonna Taylor,” Cameron said in a statement. “However, I have concerns with a grand juror seeking to make anonymous and unlimited disclosures about the grand jury proceedings. The grand jury process is secretive for a reason, to protect the safety and anonymity of all the grand jurors, witnesses, and innocent persons involved in the proceedings. Allowing this disclosure would irreversibly alter Kentucky’s legal system by making it difficult for prosecutors and the public to have confidence in the secrecy of the grand jury process going forward.”
In the motion, Cameron states that court proceedings and testimony should “remain sealed by law.” He goes on to argue that the anonymous grand juror’s filing is similar to one filed by a grand juror in the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown who was killed by a Ferguson police officer. Additionally, Cameron claims that the grand juror’s filing doesn’t seek to “limit the scope” of disclosure which could “jeopardize not only witnesses and other grand jurors but also set a dangerous legal precedent for future grand juries.”
Based on the evidence presented to them, the grand jury chose not to indict Louisville officers, Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove, for killing Breonna Taylor. Instead, Cosgrove was indicted for wanton endangerment for endangering Taylor’s neighbors during the shooting.
Although the officers who killed Taylor were not wearing body cameras, footage of the S.W.A.T. team that entered her home after she was shot dead was released by Louisville police on Thursday (Oct. 8). The footage confirms that officers left Taylor’s body unattended for several minutes. One of the S.W.A.T. members is heard saying “She’s done” after checking Taylor’s pulse. Lt. Dale Massey along with other Louisville S.W.A.T. members apparently condemned the raid that led to Taylor’s murder calling it an “egregious act.”