A Jefferson County judge heard arguments Thursday in a motion by an anonymous grand juror who wants to be free to discuss the proceedings in the Breonna Taylor case.
Grand jurors are typically barred from discussing proceedings.
The grand jury did not indict any Louisville Metro Police Officers for Taylor's death based on the presentation by Attorney General Daniel Cameron's office. One officer, Brett Hankison, was charged with wanton endangerment for firing shots that entered the apartment of her neighbors.
Kevin Glogower, an attorney representing the grand juror, argued that Cameron is using the secrecy of the grand jury process to shield his office from scrutiny.
The attorney general has been ambiguous about the possible charges and evidence his office presented to the grand jurors, Glogower said.
"It’s starting to sound a whole lot like, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain," he said.
But an attorney representing Cameron's office, assistant Deputy Attorney General Victor Maddox, argued that lifting secrecy from the process would set a dangerous precedent.
"The functioning of the criminal justice system, which depends on the grand jury itself, cannot survive if the grand jury may throw open its doors after it is discharged and 12 grand jurors be given free rein to run to the microphones the newspapers, the internet," he said.
A lawyer representing Breonna Taylor's family, Ben Crump, watched a stream of the court proceedings. Crump later issued a statement about Cameron's bid to prevent the juror from speaking.
"This motion is a slap in the face to Breonna’s family, and yet another attempt to conceal the corruption of his office. If he has nothing to hide, and he did everything right as he claims, then he should have no problem letting the grand jurors speak to the public. They deserve to have that voice, and Breonna’s family deserves answers," Crump said.
Jefferson County Circuit Court judge Annie O’Connell says she will issue a ruling soon.
