Hankison was the only officer to be charged for taking part in the raid. The officers who took part in the raid that led to the death of the Black woman were not charged.
Taylor, a 26 year-old Louisville emergency medicine technician who was studying to be a nurse, was home when she was gunshot multiple times in March 2020. The warrant , which was not a valid, was later found to have no drugs.
Taylor’s murder was one of many cases that led to nationwide protests against police brutality, systemic racism, and other cases. Protesters called for the arrest of the raid officers, but Hankison was the only indictment issued by the Kentucky Attorney General Cameron .
Cameron, a Republican, and a Black man, admitted the heartbreaking nature the case, but said officers were justified shooting Taylor’s apartment as Taylor was with her boyfriend.
Activists believe that this trial is the last chance to see some justice for Taylor’s death.
WHY WAS THE CASE NOT MOVED DUE TO PRETRIAL PUBLICITY
Hankison’s lawyer asked Jefferson Circuit Judge Ann Bailey Smith for permission to move the trial from Louisville. He felt that the public attention surrounding the case would make a difficult task of seated an impartial jury. Smith declined the request and said she was not convinced that moving the trial to a neighboring country would solve the problem. This is because the people in the area get their news from the same sources. Although she left the possibility of moving it, Smith wants to first try to seat a Jefferson County jury.
HOW DO PEOPLE ENDUP IN A JURY?
Last week, hundreds of potential jurors in Jefferson County gathered at a Kentucky courthouse for confirmation that they were eligible to be selected. The names of the potential jurors were taken from a master listing that included voters, licensed drivers aged over 18, and residents of counties who had filed individual tax returns.
Potential jurors completed questionnaires. They were asked not to read or discuss news related to the case.
The majority of Louisville’s metro area is covered by Jefferson County. Louisville is Kentucky’s biggest city and was the scene of many protests against racial injustices in 2020.
The judge and her lawyers began individually questioning 250 jurors on Tuesday without any other potential jurors. The judge stated that she would like to reduce the number of potential jurors to 50 before general jury selection can begin. These questions will determine if an individual is fair and impartial. The final pool will consist of 12 jurors and alternates.
Who IS QUALIFIED TO SERVE AS A JURY OFFICER?
A person can serve as a juror in Kentucky if they are at least 18 years old, a resident of Kentucky and able to understand and speak English. They must also not have been convicted for a felony unless they have been pardoned or their civil rights restored fully. They must also not be under arrest or have been on a jury in the last two years.
If serving on a jury would cause undue hardship, or extreme inconvenience, potential jurors may be excused. Students and caregivers for elderly or young children may be exempted.
Is SOMEONE DISQUALIFIED, IF THEY ARE AWARE OF THE CASE?
Not necessarily. Not necessarily. A potential juror could be expelled if they form an opinion about the defendant’s guilt/innocence before the trial starts, but not if the person has just heard about it.
HOW DO THE COURT APPEAR AT A FINAL JURY
Both sides have attorneys that take turns removing potential jurors from their final pool. They can do it for almost any reason and may attempt to remove jurors who might view their side of a case negatively.
The U.S. However, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for potential jurors to be cut solely on the basis of race.
