LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Federal prosecutors officially confirmed they intend to retry the case of fired Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) detective Brett Hankison, announced in a virtual status conference on Wednesday.
U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings set a tentative retrial date in mid-to-late October, but alluded to the fact that both she and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) would prefer an earlier date, if scheduling allows.
On Nov. 16, the judge declared a mistrial in Hankison's case after the jury couldn't reach a unanimous verdict, following deliberations over the course of four days and testimony extending over a week -- including from Hankison himself.
Hankison is charged with depriving both Breonna Taylor and her neighbors of their civil rights, as well as using excessive force, when he fired shots into each of their apartments during the overnight raid in March of 2020.
The trial marked the second attempt by prosecutors to convict Hankison for his actions on the night Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was shot to death by police after they knocked down the door of her apartment.
Soon after the hung jury, Taylor's family attorney Lonita Baker said U.S. attorneys voiced their intentions for a retrial.
But now, it appears it could take months for that to happen.
Hankison's defense attorneys also revealed the former police officer is contemplating hiring new counsel. One of the three attorneys representing Hankison, Stew Mathews, said he's planning to retire, adding that he didn't foresee a retrial happening when he first took on this case.
It wasn't made clear why Hankison may want new representation, but Jennings set another virtual status hearing for Jan. 24 to finalize his defense team and set a definitive retrial date.
Last year, Hankison was acquitted on multiple wanton endangerment charges in a state trial. Mathews represented Hankison in that case, as well.
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