
Ex-cop jailed for 33 months over Breonna Taylor raid
US President Donald Trump's Justice Department had asked the judge to imprison him for a single day.
Taylor, a Black woman, was shot and killed by Louisville, Kentucky, police officers in March 2020 after they used a no-knock warrant at her home.
Her boyfriend, believing they were intruders, fired on the officers with a legally owned firearm, prompting them to return fire.
Taylor's death, along with the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of a white police officer, sparked racial justice protests across the US over the treatment of people of colour by police departments.
US District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings criticised prosecutors for making an "180-degree" turn in their approach to the case and said political factors appeared to have influenced its recommendation for a one-day prison sentence.
"This sentence will not and cannot be measured against Ms Taylor's life and the incident as a whole," Jennings said.
The sentence was at the low end of the 33 to 41 months called for under federal sentencing guidelines, but far more severe than the Justice Department under Trump had sought.
Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, several other family members and Kenneth Walker, her boyfriend at the time, all spoke in court to ask the judge to impose the maximum penalty.
"A piece of me was taken from me that day. You have the power to make today the first day of true accountability," Palmer told the judge.
During then-president Joe Biden's administration, the Justice Department brought criminal civil rights charges against the officers involved in both Taylor and Floyd's deaths.
Hankison was convicted by a federal jury in November 2024 of one count of violating Taylor's civil rights, after the first attempt to prosecute him ended with a mistrial.
He was separately acquitted on state charges in 2022.
In a brief statement to the court, Hankison apologised to Taylor's family and friends and said he would have acted differently if he had known about issues with the preparation of the search warrant that led police to Taylor's home that night.
"I never would have fired my gun," he said.
The Justice Department's sentencing memo for Hankison downplayed his role in the raid at Taylor's home, saying he "did not shoot Ms Taylor and is not otherwise responsible for her death".
It was submitted on July 16 by Harmeet Dhillon, a political appointee by Trump to lead the Justice Department's civil rights division, and her counsel Robert Keenan.
Lawyers for Taylor's family called the department's sentencing recommendation for Hankison an insult, and urged the judge to "deliver true justice" for her.

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7NEWS
15 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Donald Trump was told his name appears in Jeffrey Epstein files as political backlash in US mounts
A report that US President Donald Trump was told his name appeared in files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has deepened a political backlash within his support base. US Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump in May that his name appeared in investigative files related to Epstein, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The White House has sent mixed signals following the story — first dismissing it as 'fake news,' while an official later said the administration was not denying Trump's name appears in some files. The official noted that Trump was already included in materials Bondi assembled in February for conservative influencers. In another development, a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee has approved a subpoena seeking all Justice Department files on Epstein. Three Republicans joined five Democrats to back the effort, in a sign that Trump's party was not ready to move on from the issue. Trump, who was friendly with Epstein up to the early 2000s, appears multiple times on flight logs for Epstein's private plane in the 1990s. Trump and several members of his family also appear in an Epstein contact book, alongside hundreds of others. Much of that material had been publicly released in the criminal case against Epstein's former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after her conviction for child sex trafficking and other crimes. Epstein's longtime pilot testified that Trump flew on Epstein's private plane multiple times. Trump has denied being on the plane. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein and has said their friendship ended before Epstein's legal troubles first began two decades ago. Trump has faced intense criticism from his own supporters after his administration said it would not release the Epstein files, reversing a campaign promise. Under political pressure last week, Trump directed the Justice Department to seek the release of sealed grand jury transcripts related to Epstein. US District Judge Robin Rosenberg has denied one of those requests, finding that it did not fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret. Last week, the Journal reported that Trump had sent Epstein a bawdy birthday note in 2003 that ended, 'Happy Birthday ? and may every day be another wonderful secret'. Trump has sued the Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, asserting that the birthday note was fake. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, to which he had pleaded not guilty. In a separate case, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a prostitution charge in Florida and received a 13-month sentence in what is now widely regarded as too lenient a deal with prosecutors. His connections with wealthy and powerful individuals prompted speculation his death was not a suicide. The Justice Department said in its memo this month that it had concluded Epstein died by his own hand. In a sign of how the issue has bedevilled Trump and divided his fellow Republicans, US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday abruptly said he would send lawmakers home for the summer a day early to avoid a floor fight over a vote on the Epstein files. Trump, stung and frustrated by the continued focus on the Epstein story, has sought to divert attention to other topics, including unfounded accusations that former President Barack Obama undermined Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign. Obama's office denounced the allegations as 'ridiculous.'


The Advertiser
18 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Trump was told he is in Epstein files, WSJ reports
A report that US President Donald Trump was told his name appeared in files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has deepened a political backlash within his support base. US Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump in May that his name appeared in investigative files related to Epstein, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The White House has sent mixed signals following the story - first dismissing it as "fake news," while an official later said the administration was not denying Trump's name appears in some files. The official noted that Trump was already included in materials Bondi assembled in February for conservative influencers. In another development, a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee has approved a subpoena seeking all Justice Department files on Epstein. Three Republicans joined five Democrats to back the effort, in a sign that Trump's party was not ready to move on from the issue. Trump, who was friendly with Epstein up to the early 2000s, appears multiple times on flight logs for Epstein's private plane in the 1990s. Trump and several members of his family also appear in an Epstein contact book, alongside hundreds of others. Much of that material had been publicly released in the criminal case against Epstein's former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after her conviction for child sex trafficking and other crimes. Epstein's longtime pilot testified that Trump flew on Epstein's private plane multiple times. Trump has denied being on the plane. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein and has said their friendship ended before Epstein's legal troubles first began two decades ago. Trump has faced intense criticism from his own supporters after his administration said it would not release the Epstein files, reversing a campaign promise. Under political pressure last week, Trump directed the Justice Department to seek the release of sealed grand jury transcripts related to Epstein. US District Judge Robin Rosenberg has denied one of those requests, finding that it did not fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret. Last week, the Journal reported that Trump had sent Epstein a bawdy birthday note in 2003 that ended, "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret." Trump has sued the Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, asserting that the birthday note was fake. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, to which he had pleaded not guilty. In a separate case, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a prostitution charge in Florida and received a 13-month sentence in what is now widely regarded as too lenient a deal with prosecutors. His connections with wealthy and powerful individuals prompted speculation his death was not a suicide. The Justice Department said in its memo this month that it had concluded Epstein died by his own hand. In a sign of how the issue has bedevilled Trump and divided his fellow Republicans, US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday abruptly said he would send lawmakers home for the summer a day early to avoid a floor fight over a vote on the Epstein files. Trump, stung and frustrated by the continued focus on the Epstein story, has sought to divert attention to other topics, including unfounded accusations that former President Barack Obama undermined Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign. Obama's office denounced the allegations as "ridiculous." A report that US President Donald Trump was told his name appeared in files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has deepened a political backlash within his support base. US Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump in May that his name appeared in investigative files related to Epstein, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The White House has sent mixed signals following the story - first dismissing it as "fake news," while an official later said the administration was not denying Trump's name appears in some files. The official noted that Trump was already included in materials Bondi assembled in February for conservative influencers. In another development, a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee has approved a subpoena seeking all Justice Department files on Epstein. Three Republicans joined five Democrats to back the effort, in a sign that Trump's party was not ready to move on from the issue. Trump, who was friendly with Epstein up to the early 2000s, appears multiple times on flight logs for Epstein's private plane in the 1990s. Trump and several members of his family also appear in an Epstein contact book, alongside hundreds of others. Much of that material had been publicly released in the criminal case against Epstein's former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after her conviction for child sex trafficking and other crimes. Epstein's longtime pilot testified that Trump flew on Epstein's private plane multiple times. Trump has denied being on the plane. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein and has said their friendship ended before Epstein's legal troubles first began two decades ago. Trump has faced intense criticism from his own supporters after his administration said it would not release the Epstein files, reversing a campaign promise. Under political pressure last week, Trump directed the Justice Department to seek the release of sealed grand jury transcripts related to Epstein. US District Judge Robin Rosenberg has denied one of those requests, finding that it did not fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret. Last week, the Journal reported that Trump had sent Epstein a bawdy birthday note in 2003 that ended, "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret." Trump has sued the Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, asserting that the birthday note was fake. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, to which he had pleaded not guilty. In a separate case, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a prostitution charge in Florida and received a 13-month sentence in what is now widely regarded as too lenient a deal with prosecutors. His connections with wealthy and powerful individuals prompted speculation his death was not a suicide. The Justice Department said in its memo this month that it had concluded Epstein died by his own hand. In a sign of how the issue has bedevilled Trump and divided his fellow Republicans, US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday abruptly said he would send lawmakers home for the summer a day early to avoid a floor fight over a vote on the Epstein files. Trump, stung and frustrated by the continued focus on the Epstein story, has sought to divert attention to other topics, including unfounded accusations that former President Barack Obama undermined Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign. Obama's office denounced the allegations as "ridiculous." A report that US President Donald Trump was told his name appeared in files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has deepened a political backlash within his support base. US Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump in May that his name appeared in investigative files related to Epstein, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The White House has sent mixed signals following the story - first dismissing it as "fake news," while an official later said the administration was not denying Trump's name appears in some files. The official noted that Trump was already included in materials Bondi assembled in February for conservative influencers. In another development, a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee has approved a subpoena seeking all Justice Department files on Epstein. Three Republicans joined five Democrats to back the effort, in a sign that Trump's party was not ready to move on from the issue. Trump, who was friendly with Epstein up to the early 2000s, appears multiple times on flight logs for Epstein's private plane in the 1990s. Trump and several members of his family also appear in an Epstein contact book, alongside hundreds of others. Much of that material had been publicly released in the criminal case against Epstein's former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after her conviction for child sex trafficking and other crimes. Epstein's longtime pilot testified that Trump flew on Epstein's private plane multiple times. Trump has denied being on the plane. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein and has said their friendship ended before Epstein's legal troubles first began two decades ago. Trump has faced intense criticism from his own supporters after his administration said it would not release the Epstein files, reversing a campaign promise. Under political pressure last week, Trump directed the Justice Department to seek the release of sealed grand jury transcripts related to Epstein. US District Judge Robin Rosenberg has denied one of those requests, finding that it did not fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret. Last week, the Journal reported that Trump had sent Epstein a bawdy birthday note in 2003 that ended, "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret." Trump has sued the Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, asserting that the birthday note was fake. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, to which he had pleaded not guilty. In a separate case, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a prostitution charge in Florida and received a 13-month sentence in what is now widely regarded as too lenient a deal with prosecutors. His connections with wealthy and powerful individuals prompted speculation his death was not a suicide. The Justice Department said in its memo this month that it had concluded Epstein died by his own hand. In a sign of how the issue has bedevilled Trump and divided his fellow Republicans, US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday abruptly said he would send lawmakers home for the summer a day early to avoid a floor fight over a vote on the Epstein files. Trump, stung and frustrated by the continued focus on the Epstein story, has sought to divert attention to other topics, including unfounded accusations that former President Barack Obama undermined Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign. Obama's office denounced the allegations as "ridiculous." A report that US President Donald Trump was told his name appeared in files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has deepened a political backlash within his support base. US Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump in May that his name appeared in investigative files related to Epstein, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The White House has sent mixed signals following the story - first dismissing it as "fake news," while an official later said the administration was not denying Trump's name appears in some files. The official noted that Trump was already included in materials Bondi assembled in February for conservative influencers. In another development, a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee has approved a subpoena seeking all Justice Department files on Epstein. Three Republicans joined five Democrats to back the effort, in a sign that Trump's party was not ready to move on from the issue. Trump, who was friendly with Epstein up to the early 2000s, appears multiple times on flight logs for Epstein's private plane in the 1990s. Trump and several members of his family also appear in an Epstein contact book, alongside hundreds of others. Much of that material had been publicly released in the criminal case against Epstein's former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after her conviction for child sex trafficking and other crimes. Epstein's longtime pilot testified that Trump flew on Epstein's private plane multiple times. Trump has denied being on the plane. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein and has said their friendship ended before Epstein's legal troubles first began two decades ago. Trump has faced intense criticism from his own supporters after his administration said it would not release the Epstein files, reversing a campaign promise. Under political pressure last week, Trump directed the Justice Department to seek the release of sealed grand jury transcripts related to Epstein. US District Judge Robin Rosenberg has denied one of those requests, finding that it did not fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret. Last week, the Journal reported that Trump had sent Epstein a bawdy birthday note in 2003 that ended, "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret." Trump has sued the Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, asserting that the birthday note was fake. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, to which he had pleaded not guilty. In a separate case, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a prostitution charge in Florida and received a 13-month sentence in what is now widely regarded as too lenient a deal with prosecutors. His connections with wealthy and powerful individuals prompted speculation his death was not a suicide. The Justice Department said in its memo this month that it had concluded Epstein died by his own hand. In a sign of how the issue has bedevilled Trump and divided his fellow Republicans, US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday abruptly said he would send lawmakers home for the summer a day early to avoid a floor fight over a vote on the Epstein files. Trump, stung and frustrated by the continued focus on the Epstein story, has sought to divert attention to other topics, including unfounded accusations that former President Barack Obama undermined Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign. Obama's office denounced the allegations as "ridiculous."

9 News
20 hours ago
- 9 News
Donald Trump told his name was in Epstein files: reports
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here When Attorney General Pam Bondi briefed President Donald Trump in May on the Justice Department's review of the documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, she told him that his name appeared in the files, sources familiar with the discussion told CNN. The conversation, which also included Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, was characterised by two White House officials as a "routine briefing" that covered the scope of the Justice Department's findings. Trump's name appearing in the files, they said, was not the sole focus of the discussions. Bondi also raised in the meeting that several names of high-profile figures were also mentioned, and that investigators did not find evidence of a so-called client list or evidence refuting that Epstein died by suicide, the officials said. Attorney-General Pam Bondi reportedly told Donald Trump his name is in the Epstein files. (AP) The sources familiar with the department's review said the files appeared to include several unsubstantiated claims that the Justice Department found not to be credible, including those relating to Trump. It wasn't clear in what context Trump's name appeared in the files. Like many high-powered people in 1990s New York, Trump was an associate of Epstein's, who worked to cultivate celebrities to burnish his business. The revelation that his name appears in the documents does little to advance previous knowledge about his ties to the late sex offender. "The White House is not surprised by this – Trump's name was present in the binders that Bondi produced and handed out," one of the White House officials said, adding that many of the materials already released by the Justice Department had included mention of the president's name. "The White House does not view this as groundbreaking or new or surprising at all," the official said, adding that there is no evidence that Trump was involved in any wrongdoing. "The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep," White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement to CNN, referring to Epstein. "This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media, just like the Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was right about." Donald Trump and Attorney-General Pam Bondi. (AP) The Wall Street Journal first reported that Bondi informed Trump in May about his name appearing in the documents. The revelations about the meeting contradict Trump's more recent denials that he was told he was in the files. Pressed last week on whether Bondi had told him he was named in the documents, he said, "No, no. She's given us just a very quick briefing." Trump has struggled to tamp down weeks of backlash over the administration's decision not to release more documents related to the Epstein investigation — a move that infuriated a vocal segment of the MAGA base and put the president at odds with some of his most ardent supporters. Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein at a Victoria's Secret Angels event in 1997. (Getty) Inside the White House, officials were outraged that Bondi did not redact Trump's name from publicly available materials contained in Epstein binders distributed to influencers in February, sources said. Her failure to protect the president during the episode has been a longstanding point of contention between the DOJ and the White House. "The DOJ and FBI reviewed the Epstein Files and reached the conclusion set out in the July 6 memo," Bondi and Blanche said in a statement. "Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution, and we have filed a motion in court to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts. As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings." The White House has dismissed the ongoing focus on the Epstein files, arguing that it's distracting from the administration's accomplishments and aiding Democrats' efforts to damage the president. But a growing and bipartisan chorus of lawmakers have since called for a full release of the documents, forcing Republican leaders on Capitol Hill to cut short their legislative session to avoid taking a series of votes on the matter. Trump denied writing the letter and has since sued the Wall Street Journal over its publication of that article. Donald Trump Jeffrey Epstein USA US POLITICS World CONTACT US Auto news: Why Australians are still driving around without insurance.