who was breonna taylor's lawyer

by Prof. Maurine Kshlerin 5 min read

What is Breonna Taylor's Law?

Attorney Ben Crump Joins the Fight. Two months after the murder of Breonna Taylor, her mother, Tamika Palmer, enlisted Ben Crump to fire back at the injustice that took her daughter’s life. Attorney Benjamin Crump of Ben Crump Law, PLLC is known across America for his strong stance on civil rights.

Does anything seem to say Breonna Taylor matters?

Sep 24, 2020 · Large crowds demonstrated in Louisville over the decision not to prosecute police for Breonna Taylor's killing Attorney Ben Crump said in …

Was Breonna Taylor’s death a ‘sham?

Sep 24, 2020 · Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who represents Breonna Taylor’s family, blasted the Kentucky grand jury that decided not to charge any officers in her killing, calling it a “sham proceeding that did...

Who is Breonna Taylor's family suing?

Lonita Baker, attorney for Breonna Taylor's family On the other side of the negotiations were three lawyers — Lonita Baker, Sam Aguiar and Ben Crump. …

image

Where is Breonna Taylor?

Location of Louisville, Kentucky, with the highlighted portion of Jefferson County representing the "balance" population of Louisville. Also shown is its location within Kentucky. Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American woman, was fatally shot in her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment on March 13, 2020, when white plainclothes officers Jonathan ...

What happened to Breonna Taylor?

On May 15, Taylor's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the estate of Breonna Taylor against the officers and the city of Louisville. It states that Taylor and Walker were sleeping in the bedroom before the incident happened, and that the police officers were in unmarked vehicles. The lawsuit states that Taylor and Walker thought the apartment had been broken into by criminals and that "they were in significant, imminent danger." The lawsuit alleges that "the officers then entered Breonna's home without knocking and without announcing themselves as police officers. The Defendants then proceeded to spray gunfire into the residence with a total disregard for the value of human life."

When is Breonna Taylor's funeral?

Breonna Taylor worked for University of Louisville Health as a full-time ER technician and was a former emergency medical technician. Her funeral was on March 21, 2020.

How much did the city of Louisville pay to the Taylor family?

On September 15, the city of Louisville agreed to pay Taylor's family $12 million and reform police practices. On September 23, a state grand jury indicted Hankison on three counts of wanton endangerment for endangering Taylor's neighbors with his shots.

What happened to the Taylor shooting?

As the shooting occurred during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, at the beginning of an escalating nationwide wave of quarantines and lockdowns, for weeks after Taylor's death there was very little public reaction, little response from government officials, and the LMPD did not provide many details about the shooting or answers to questions about the case.

How much did the Louisville Metro Government pay Taylor?

The lawsuit was resolved in mid-September 2020. The Louisville Metro Government ( LMG) agreed to pay Taylor's estate $12 million, "one of the highest settlement amounts ever paid in America for the wrongful death of a Black woman by police", according to family attorney Benjamin Crump.

Who is Jonathan Mattingly?

Jonathan Mattingly is an LMPD police officer who joined the department in 2000, became a sergeant in 2009, and joined the narcotics division in 2016. Brett Hankison is a former LMPD detective. Hankison joined the department in 2003. The LMPD fired him on June 23, 2020.

Who represents Breonna Taylor's family?

Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who represents Breonna Taylor’s family, blasted the Kentucky grand jury that decided not to charge any officers in her killing, calling it a “sham proceeding that did nothing to give Breonna Taylor a voice."

Why did Taylor Walker fire his gun?

The attorney added that Walker fired his gun because he "thought he was protecting his woman and his 'castle.'". Juniyah Palmer, Taylor’s sister, reacted to the decision Wednesday on Instagram, writing, “Sister, I am so sorry.”. “Sister, you was failed by a system you worked hard for,” Palmer wrote. “We was failed as a family.”.

Lonita Baker, attorney for Breonna Taylor's family

On the other side of the negotiations were three lawyers — Lonita Baker, Sam Aguiar and Ben Crump.

Sam Aguiar, attorney for Breonna Taylor's family

Craig Sam Edward Aguiar has only practiced law for 12 years and didn’t launch his own firm — Sam Aguiar Injury Lawyers — until 2014.

Ben Crump, attorney for Breonna Taylor's family

Crump grew up on the wrong side of the railroad tracks in Lumberton, North Carolina, where his mother worked as a maid and in a shoe factory.

Who killed Breonna Taylor?

Breonna Taylor, 26, was shot and killed by Louisville, Kentucky, police officers after they allegedly executed a search warrant of the wrong home. No charges have been filed in connection with Taylor's death. The officers who responded that night were previously reassigned.

What is Breonna's law?

Breonna's Law passed to ban no-knock warrants. In the wake of the killing of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old who was shot to death during a police raid in March, the Louisville City Council unanimously passed a ban on no-knock warrants. The Louisville, Kentucky, Metro Council unanimously passed Breonna's Law -- named in honor ...

Who is Taylor's mother?

Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, was elated after the vote. "I know if Breonna was here today, she'd be looking down thinking I'm making history," Palmer said following the council meeting. "She just really cared about saving lives and so she'll get to continue to do that with Breonna's law. I know she'd be blessed.

Who was the woman who was shot in Louisville?

Taylor, a 26-year-old black woman, was shot by Louisville police when they executed a no-knock warrant while she slept in her home on March 13. The shooting took place when the home Taylor, a front-line health care worker, shared with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, was raided by three plainclothes officers. Police said the no-knock warrant was ...

What is Breonna Taylor's law?

The ban was named “Breonna’s Law.”. An Important Step Toward Justice. Mr. Crump, the noted civil rights lawyer, called the $12 million Breonna Taylor settlement “an important step toward justice more than six months after Breonna’s death.”. “Nothing will ever bring back the precious life or fill the bottomless void left by the death ...

Who fired the shot that killed Breonna Taylor?

A ballistics analysis by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that Cosgrove fired the shot that caused Taylor’s death. A historic wrongful death settlement has been reached six months after the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year old EMT during a flawed police raid on her Louisville, Kentucky home.

How much did Breonna Taylor get paid?

The Breonna Taylor settlement will award $12 million to Ms. Taylor’s family. It is believed to be the highest settlement amount ever paid in America to the family of a Black woman wrongfully killed by the police, according to the Taylor family’s lawyer, Benjamin Crump of Ben Crump Law, PLLC. The settlement is also historic because it includes ...

What is Brett Hankison charged with?

They indicted only one of the officers, former detective Brett Hankison, on the charge of first-degree wanton endangerment, which constitutes a Class D (the lowest) felony. The charge against Hankison connects with his allegedly firing his weapon through a window and door.

What happened to Breonna Taylor?

(CNN) The police raid of Breonna Taylor's home that ended with police killing her was connected to a political plan to clear a Louisville, Kentucky, street for a real estate development, according to an amended lawsuit filed by Taylor's mother.

How many times was Taylor shot?

Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was shot eight times after police broke down the door to her apartment while executing a nighttime, no-knock warrant in a narcotics investigation on March 13. Her mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit in April against the officers involved: Brett Hankison, Myles Cosgrove and Jonathan Mattingly.

When does the Fischer lawsuit expire?

The lawsuit claims that Fischer wanted to incorporate large-scale development in west Louisville to leave a visible legacy for his time in office, which is currently set to expire in January 2023. A recent development initiative, called Vision Russell, intends to redevelop the Beecher Terrace public housing complex.

What happened to Breonna Taylor?

— Breonna Taylor's shooting was the result of a Louisville police department operation to clear out a block in western Louisville that was part of a major gentrification makeover , according to attorneys representing the slain 26-year-old's family.

Who was the man on the warrant for the narcotics investigation?

The warrants carried out in the narcotics investigation on March 13 were meant to target one of the "primary roadblocks" to the development: A man named Jamarcus Glover, according to the complaint.

image

Overview

Incident

LMPD obtained a "no-knock" search warrantfor Taylor's apartment at 3003 Springfield Drive in Louisville. The search warrant included Taylor's residence because it was suspected that Glover received packages containing drugs there, might have been "keeping narcotics and/or proceeds from the sale of narcotics" there, and because a car registered to Taylor had been seen parked in front of Glover's house several times. Specifically, the warrant alleges that in January 2020, Glov…

Persons involved

• Breonna Taylor worked for University of Louisville Health as a full-time ER technician and was a former emergency medical technician. Her funeral was on March 21, 2020.
• Kenneth Walker was Taylor's boyfriend, who was present with her in the apartment at the time and fired the shots at what he thought were intruders.

Background

The LMPD investigation's primary targets were Jamarcus Glover and Adrian Walker (not related to Kenneth Walker ), who were suspected of selling controlled substances from a drug house approximately 10 miles (16 km) away. Glover said the police had pressured him to move out of his residence for unspecified reasons. Glover and Taylor had been in an on-off relationship that started in 2016 and lasted until February 2020, when Taylor committed to Kenneth Walker.

Investigations

An autopsy was conducted on Taylor, and her cause of death was determined to be homicide. The death certificate also notes that she received five gunshot wounds to the body. The coroner denied The Courier-Journal's request for a copy of the autopsy. The newspaper was appealing to the attorney general's office as of July 17, 2020.
The police filed an incident report that claimed that Taylor had no injuries and that no forced ent…

Legal proceedings

On May 20, 2020, the occupants of a neighboring apartment filed a lawsuit against Hankison, Cosgrove, and Mattingly. The occupants were a pregnant woman, her child and a man. The lawsuit alleged that the officers fired blindly into their apartment and nearly hit the man's head, shattered a sliding glass door, and hit objects in three rooms and a hallway.
Walker initially faced criminal charges of first-degree assault and attempted murder of a police …

Policy and administrative changes

On May 21, Police Chief Steve Conrad announced his retirement after intense local and national criticism for the department's handling of the case, to be effective June 30. Conrad was fired on June 1 after the fatal shooting of black business owner David McAtee.
The LMPD announced in May that it would require all sworn officers to wear body cameras, and will change how it carries out search warrants. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischerindefinitely suspend…

Reactions

As the shooting occurred during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, at the beginning of an escalating nationwide wave of quarantines and lockdowns, for weeks after Taylor's death there was very little public reaction, little response from government officials, and the LMPD did not provide many details about the shooting or answers to questions about the ca…