EXCLUSIVE: Conservative Group Urges Judge to Reject Louisville Police Reform Agreement
A conservative legal watchdog is set to file an amicus brief with a Kentucky court, urging a judge to reject a consent decree forged by Attorney General Merrick Garland and the city of Louisville and Jefferson County, Ky., aimed at reforming police practices after the 2020 death of Breonna Taylor.
The Oversight Project claims the agreement includes “a laundry list of BLM-type standards” that will “hamstring” the police department and defy the will of Kentucky voters who elected new Republicans on the Louisville council on the issue of law and order.
The group’s executive director, Mike Howell, warned that the decree will turn Louisville into a “sanctuary city for gangbangers” and impose new standards for dealing with youth offenders and stop-and-frisk restrictions.
The agreement also prevents Louisville councilmen, Kentucky lawmakers, and the general public from making further adjustments to policing policies for five years, with an official monitor appointed by the judge, rather than the relevant legislature, making policy decisions.
The Oversight Project’s amicus brief is backed by law enforcement advocacy leaders, who argue that the Biden Justice Department is trying to impose burdensome rules that far exceed their authority under law.
The group hopes the Kentucky judge will see that the agreement is an attempt to “turn him into a legislature” and will instead prioritize public safety and the will of the people.
