Breonna Taylor’s Grand Jurors Speak Out

Oct 12, 2020

After a grand jury brought no charges against the cops who killed Breonna Taylor, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron claimed that they had done so because the grand jury agreed with his office that the cops were justified, acting in self-defense after Taylor’s boyfriend fired his gun first. Cameron said the grand jury was an “independent” body, and, “If they wanted to make an assessment about different charges they could have.”

But one member of the grand jury said that Cameron’s statement hung the jurors out to dry, and filed a motion in court requesting jury members be able to speak freely. A second juror has since also asked to be allowed to speak out.

Only after the first grand juror spoke out did Cameron agree to release partially-edited audio of the jury proceedings, with no written transcript. Only then did he admit he never recommended murder charges to the grand jury.

The grand jury audiotapes show that, in fact, the prosecution attempted to withhold information that would have allowed the grand jurors to make their own determination. One juror can be heard asking prosecutors if there is police bodycam video they can see. A prosecutor tells her there is 15 hours of tape and it would take too much time to review, to which she responds that the jurors have plenty of time.

With so-called ‘prosecutors’ like Cameron, cops don’t need defense attorneys. Breonna Taylor is one of many victims of murder at the hands of police in a situation where ‘prosecutors’ use grand juries as a cover to let the cops get off. And while Cameron is attempting once again to silence jury members, we can be certain Taylor’s family and community will not be silenced.