A federal judge has dismissed the most serious felony charges against two former Louisville Metro Police Department officers tied to the 2020 killing of Breonna Taylor.
Breonna Taylor’s death during a botched no-knock raid sparked nationwide protests and calls for police reform. The medical worker was just 26 when her life was taken.
Former officers Kyle Meany and Joshua Jaynes had faced felony counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, which carried possible life sentences. Prosecutors argued that the men conspired to falsify the search warrant that led to the March 13, 2020 raid on Taylor’s apartment. But District Judge Charles Simpson III ruled that while the alleged conduct was “seriously troubling,” the charges could not stand.
Simpson wrote that violating the warrant clause and executing a search without probable cause amounted to an illegal invasion of privacy, but “not in someone’s death.” He dismissed the charges without prejudice, allowing prosecutors the option to refile later.
The decision represents the second time Simpson has dismissed felony charges against Meany and Jaynes. In August 2024, the judge ruled that the fatal shot fired by Taylor’s boyfriend, believing police were intruders, was the legal cause of her death rather than the faulty warrant itself.
Although the most serious charges are off the table, both men still face legal exposure. Meany remains charged with lying to the FBI, while Jaynes faces conspiracy, falsification of records, and multiple misdemeanors. Another officer, Kelly Goodlett, pleaded guilty in 2022 to a conspiracy charge and is expected to testify against her former colleagues.
Meanwhile, former officer Brett Hankison was sentenced in July to 33 months in prison plus three years of supervised release for violating Taylor’s civil rights after firing blindly into her apartment.
The latest ruling underscores the complex legal fallout from Taylor’s death, which galvanized a movement demanding accountability in policing.
For Taylor’s family and community, the court battles remain a stark reminder that nearly five years later, the fight for justice is far from over.
