Grand Jury Didn't Agree With Findings In Breonna Taylor Case, Juror Says; Recording To Be Released

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said he will release a grand jury recording from Breonna Taylor’s case after a judge’s ruling ordered it be added to evidence. This was prompted after a grand juror, who has not been identified, filed a lawsuit and challenged the assertions Cameron put forward about the grand jury hearings.

“The grand jury is meant to be a secretive body. It's apparent that the public interest in this case isn't going to allow that to happen,” Cameron said in a press release. “As the special prosecutor, our team has an ethical obligation not to release the recording from the grand jury proceedings, and we stand by our belief that such a release could compromise the ongoing federal investigation and could have unintended consequences such as poisoning the jury pool.

“Despite these concerns, we will comply with the judge's order to release the recording on Wednesday.”

Cameron has faced significant backlash since his press conference Wednesday where he said former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison was the only officer charged in Breonna Taylor’s case. During the conference, Cameron said the grand jury was in agreement about the case’s circumstances and planned to keep the hearings’ materials confidential because of the ongoing federal investigation.

However, the grand juror who filed a lawsuit Monday to have transcripts and other evidence from the hearings released said otherwise.

“The full story and absolute truth of how this matter was handled from beginning to end is now an issue of great public interest and has become a large part of the discussion of public trust throughout the country,” the suit said, contending Cameron used the grand jury “as a shield to deflect accountability and responsibility for those decisions.”

The lawsuit specifically pointed to Cameron’s assertion the grand jury agreed the actions of Officers Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove were justified.

“The only exception to the responsibility he foisted upon the grand jurors was in his statement that they 'agreed' with his team's investigation that Mattingly and Cosgrove were justified in their actions,” the suit said.

“It is patently unjust for the jurors to be subjected to the level of accountability the attorney general campaigned for simply because they received a summons to serve their community at a time that adherence to the summons forced them to be involved in a matter that has caused such a palpable divide between sides.”

Hankison appeared in court for arraignment on three charges of wanton endangerment Monday. He pleaded not guilty and is out on $15,000 bail. He is due back in court in October and could face a maximum sentence of five years if found guilty.