LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On Friday, the Kentucky Prosecutors Advisory Council (PAC) denied Breonna Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, and her attorney’s request for a special prosecutor in her daughter’s case.
What You Need To Know
- PAC denied the family of Breonna Taylor's request for a new special prosecutor
- Activists and organizers in Louisville have spoken out against the decision
- PAC has nine members, one being Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R)
- Lawyers of Tamika Palmer, Breonna Taylor's mother, plan to file actions contesting the decision
On Sunday, the Louisville-based social justice organization Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression spoke out against that decision. One member, Greg Tichenor, said it's an sign of a failing system.
“I think we are witnessing firsthand a system that’s working the way it’s designed to, which is to deny justice to certain people in our community,” Tichenor said. He also represents another social justice organization, Louisville Showing Up For Racial Justice, at these press events.
PAC has nine members. Eight are appointed by the governor and its ninth member is its chairperson, Kentucky’s Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Cameron did not attend or vote at Friday’s virtual hearing. Three members of PAC are Commonwealth attorneys and three are county attorneys. The other two members are Commonwealth citizens.
Kentucky Alliance member Brad Harrison thinks PAC is prosecutor heavy.
“At this point, it just feels like we are going through the motions of a system that is designed not to prosecute anyone in government and law-enforcement, and it’s becoming quite irritating,” Harrison said.
On Friday, Christopher T. Cohron, the Commonwealth's Attorney for the Eighth Judicial Circuit and a PAC member said the committee simply has no authority to fulfill Palmer's request.
“The attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the Prosecutors Advisory Council's duties and responsibilities as authorized under Kentucky law simply do not allow for the Prosecutors Advisory Council to usurp the authority of the attorney general," Cohron said.
Kentucky Alliance member K.A. Owens thinks PAC came up with an interpretation of the law that suited them. Harrison agreed.
“Our only resolve now is to hope that federal authorities step in and give this case a fair overlook,” Harrison added.
“When it comes to local authorities, I agree with K.A. [Owens]. That the sentiment is that the state of Kentucky, the city of Louisville, wants to wrap this up, move forward, and sweep everything under the rug,” Harrison said.
On Facebook, one of Taylor’s mother's lawyers, Sam Aguiar, said they will “likely be filing an action for the court system to interpret the legislation.”