DOJ seeks one-day sentence for officer convicted in Breonna Taylor case

July 18, 2025 Law & Order

The U.S. Justice Department has asked a federal judge to sentence a former Louisville police officer who was convicted last year of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights to serve just one day in prison, despite the fact the conviction carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

In a court filing, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division late on Wednesday downplayed the conviction of former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison, noting he “did not shoot Ms. Taylor and is not otherwise responsible for her death.”

Mugshot of Brett Hankison.
The U.S. Justice Department has asked a federal judge to sentence former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison, who was convicted of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights, to serve just one day in prison.via REUTERS

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Her death, as well as the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, sparked mass racial justice protests around the country.

The Civil Rights Division during former Democratic President Joe Biden’s tenure brought criminal charges against the officers involved in both Taylor and Floyd’s death.

Breonna Taylor at a graduation ceremony.
Taylor, a Black woman, was killed by police in 2020 after they executed a no-knock warrant during a botched raid of her home.Courtesy of Family of Breonna Taylor
Portrait of Breonna Taylor.
Taylor’s death, as well as the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, sparked mass racial justice protests around the country.Facebook

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Harmeet Dhillon, the Trump-appointed head of the Civil Rights Division, killed efforts to enter into court-approved settlements with those departments, and rescinded the findings of civil rights abuses in May.

The sentencing memo submitted to the court in the Hankison case late on Wednesday was notable because it was not signed by any of the career prosecutors who had tried the case.

Police officer Brett Hankison's portrait.
According to the court filing, the one-day sentence would amount to time served since Hankison would “get credit for the day he was booked and made his initial appearance.”Louisville PD

It was submitted by Dhillon, a political appointee, and her counsel Robert Keenan.

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Crime scene photo of Breonna Taylor's apartment building exterior.
Crime scene pictures taken by Louisville Metro Police investigators.Louisville Metro Police

The efforts to strike the felony conviction led several prosecutors on the case to resign in protest, according to media reports and a person familiar with the matter.

Dhillon could not be immediately reached for comment on the sentencing recommendation.

* Original Article:

https://nypost.com/2025/07/17/us-news/doj-seeks-one-day-sentence-for-officer-convicted-in-breonna-taylor-case/

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