DOJ moves to dismiss federal case against two former officers in Breonna Taylor shooting
Mar 20th 2026 · World
The Justice Department filed to dismiss with prejudice federal civil rights charges against former Louisville officers Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany over their alleged roles in obtaining the warrant tied to Breonna Taylor’s 2020 death; the judge has not ruled.
- Justice Department asked a federal court to dismiss with prejudice civil rights charges against Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany.
- Prosecutors had accused the two of lying to obtain the warrant used in the March 2020 raid that killed Breonna Taylor; prior rulings reduced felony allegations to misdemeanor color-of-law violations.
- The dismissal filing was signed by Civil Rights Division leaders Harmeet Dhillon, Robert Keenan and Katie Neff, and was not signed by career prosecutors in the division's criminal section.
- A ruling granting dismissal with prejudice would bar future prosecution on these charges, and the judge has not yet decided the motion.
- The move follows a string of recent Civil Rights Division decisions to seek dismissals or lighter outcomes in other high profile cases, several involving Robert Keenan
Articles
- DOJ seeks to drop case against ex-police officers charged in Breonna Taylor's death www.cbsnews.com
- Federal prosecutors seek to dismiss charges against Louisville officers in Breonna Taylor’s killing apnews.com
- Justice Dept. Seeks to Drop Charges Against Officers in Breonna Taylor’s Death www.nytimes.com
- Federal prosecutors ask to dismiss charges against officers in Breonna Taylor raid www.npr.org