DOJ Moves to Dismiss Charges Against Two Officers in Breonna Taylor Case
The Department of Justice said it would abandon police reform settlements with Minneapolis and Louisville. On March 20, the DOJ filed a motion asking a federal judge to drop charges against two former Louisville Metro Police officers. The officers were involved in drafting the search warrant used in the 2020 raid that killed Breonna Taylor.
Court filing and legal basis
The March 20 motion was filed on behalf of Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Robert Keenan. It cited Rule 48(a), which allows the government to dismiss an indictment or complaint.
The filing noted a prior judge’s decision had already downgraded the most serious counts. The DOJ said it conducted a further review and concluded dismissal was warranted.
Requested disposition
The government asked the court to dismiss the case with prejudice. If granted, the dismissal would bar any future prosecution on those charges.
The document was filed exactly six years and one week after Taylor was killed in her apartment.
Officers, charges and employment actions
The two former officers named in the 2022 federal indictment are Kyle Meany and Joshua Jaynes. The indictment alleged Meany knew false and out-of-date information was used to obtain the warrant.
The Louisville Metro Police Department fired Jaynes in 2021 for violating truthfulness and warrant-preparation policies. Meany was terminated in August 2022 after he was federally indicted.
Related proceedings and defendants
Brett Hankison was found guilty by a jury of violating civil rights. The DOJ previously asked for a one-day sentence for him after that verdict.
Hankison was later sentenced to 33 months in prison in July 2025. In December, a federal judge ordered his release pending appeal. The DOJ had asked the court to release him during the appeal process.
A fourth former officer, Kelly Goodlett, pleaded guilty in 2022 to helping falsify an affidavit tied to the warrant. She has not yet been sentenced.
Judicial findings and timeline
In an opinion issued last August, U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson III reduced the most serious charges. He said the boyfriend’s firing of a gun as officers entered drew return fire that led to Taylor’s fatal wound.
Reactions
Thomas Clay, who represents Joshua Jaynes, reacted emotionally when contacted by reporters. He said his client maintained he did nothing wrong and sought to speak later.
Michael Denbow, who represents Kyle Meany, said his client was grateful for the filing and wanted to move on with his life.
The NAACP Louisville Branch condemned the DOJ motion. The group called the move disrespectful to Taylor’s memory and said it risks undermining trust in the justice system.
The sequence of events and filings has been widely covered under the headline DOJ Moves to Dismiss Charges Against Two Officers in Breonna Taylor Case. Filmogaz.com will continue to monitor court developments and reactions to the motion.
