WASHINGTON (September 25, 2020) — The Black Public Defender Association extends our heartfelt condolences to Breonna Taylor’s family, friends, and loved ones.
Wednesday’s announcement of the grand jury’s decision to not indict the Louisville police officers for the killing of Breonna Taylor is unsurprising but still deeply painful for Black America. The grand jury’s announcement, which was made on the 65th anniversary of the acquittal of Emmett Till’s murderers, is a reminder that the criminal legal system is incapable of holding itself or others accountable for inflicting violence on Black communities. The police officers that killed Breonna Taylor in her home are representative of a criminal legal system that is racist, anti-Black, and a linchpin of white supremacy. To pursue true justice for Black America, we must dismantle the violent and racist system that killed Breonna Taylor and allowed the officers to avoid accountability.
We stand in solidarity with the public defenders in Kentucky who are fighting to free their clients from the claws of the criminal legal system.
BPDA also joins national calls for the transcripts of the grand jury proceedings to be released.
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The Black Public Defender Association aims to improve the quality of defense provided to low-income communities across the United States by creating and maintaining a national network of skilled Black public defenders that identify with and are committed to the populations they serve.
