A bond easing has been given to the officer involved from the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). With involvement in the raid, which led to the immature death of Breonna Taylor. The judge who brought Brett Hankison’s bond from $15,000 to $7,500 on Thursday (Sept. 23) lowed the bond amount. His lawyer was having trouble covering his legal expenses, so he moved for half of his bail money to be returned to him.
Hankison, along with Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Officer Myles Cosgrove of the Lexington Police Department, saw Taylor in distress after she was shot 30 times in the apartment.
According to the Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Hankison has been charged with three counts of wanton endangerment following national outrage over the shooting, in which Hankison allegedly plowed his weapon into Taylor’s neighbors’ homes. In the 26-year-old’s death, none of the officers were charged with any crimes.
Hankison’s lawyer called that trial should be moved to another location because Taylor’s death sparked a “media circus.” According to attorney Stew Mathews, the jury pool in Louisville will be “irreparably biased and prejudiced,” rendering an impartial trial nearly impossible. As the lawyer also pointed out, it is possible for any prospective juror to fear a threat to their well-being if they serve on this jury.
Judge Ann Bailey Smith of Jefferson County Circuit Court, declared that the trial would remain in Louisville. According to Hankison, she realized that there were a great deal of issues surrounding the trial. But she still will find unbiased jurors to represent the case Smith told the attorneys, “I think we should try to seat a jury here in Jefferson County to begin with.
Additionally, Hankison’s trial was postponed until February 1, 2022, five months later than it was originally scheduled for August. According to Smith, the COVID-19 epidemic was a contributing factor to the postponement of the trial. A trial date is scheduled for April 10, 2019 for felony charges of wanton endangerment against Hankson. The maximum sentence for him if convicted will be five years in prison.
This article was penned by Jonathan P. Wright. Jonathan is a freelance writer for multiple mainstream publications and CVO of RADIOPUSHERS. You can read more of his work by clicking here.
