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Federal Judge Skeptical About Louisville Police Consent Decree

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A federal judge on Monday expressed skepticism about the Justice Department’s proposed consent decree requiring Louisville to make broad changes to its police force after findings of excessive force and civil rights abuses. At a hearing, U.S. District Judge Benjamin Beaton repeatedly suggested that DOJ and city officials could reach an agreement without the court’s involvement that would be less time-consuming and financially onerous than one run under federal court supervision, reports the Washington Post. Beaton asked attorneys why the proposed consent agreement was submitted to the court last month. The timing could appear to be a rushed attempt to lock in the agreement ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration, he said. Trump has pledged to reverse the Biden administration’s intervention into local and state police departments. Experts have said a legally binding consent decree could make it more difficult for Trump to change course.


“You’re going to have a new boss in seven days. Why are we racing to do this?” Beaton asked Paul Killebrew of the Justice Department’s civil rights division. “I’m really concerned about … racing to rubber-stamp a 240-page consent decree. We’re really in a difficult position now.” Beaton, whose approval would be required for the consent order to take effect, concluded the five-hour hearing without issuing a ruling, and it is unclear whether he will make a decision before Trump is sworn in. Trump appointed Beaton in 2020. Under Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Justice Department has conducted sweeping civil investigations into 12 local and state law enforcement agencies and released findings in nine of them, with three probes ongoing. Federal authorities have reached proposed consent agreements in Louisville and Minneapolis, but neither has been approved by a judge. DOJ and Louisville filed their proposed agreement with the court on Dec. 12 after a two-year federal investigation concluded in 2023 that the city’s police force had engaged in systemic civil rights abuses and excessive-force misconduct in the years leading up to the 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor. The proposed agreement would mandate that the police pursue changes to use-of-force policies, officer training and supervision, the handling of search warrants, and officer wellness initiatives under the supervision of a federal monitor. Such arrangements in other cities have lasted 10 years and cost local jurisdictions millions of dollars annually, although the Louisville agreement stipulates a goal of reaching compliance within five years. The conservative Heritage Foundation filed an amicus brief opposing the consent order, arguing that the Trump administration is likely to oppose such federal intervention.


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