Overview

• The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to impose a one-day jail term—essentially time served—and three years of supervised release for Brett Hankison.
• The sentencing memorandum was signed by Civil Rights Division chief Harmeet Dhillon and senior counsel Robert Keenan instead of the career prosecutors who tried the case.
• The filing contends that although Hankison fired multiple shots through Taylor’s apartment window, he did not shoot Breonna Taylor or cause her death.
• Hankison’s federal conviction in 2024 came after a 2022 state acquittal and a 2023 federal mistrial, with jurors ultimately finding him guilty of violating Taylor’s civil rights.
• The recommendation departs from the Biden administration’s tougher stance on police misconduct and has drawn criticism from activists demanding stronger accountability.