LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- When they approve search warrants, giving police authority to enter private homes, Louisville judges often don't bother to sign their names in a way that they can be identified, and there is no other public record showing which judge approved a given warrant.
That was the conclusion of a Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting-WDRB News investigation published Sept. 16.
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"When a police officer comes to your house with a warrant, you should be able to ask to see that warrant and see which judge said that this is OK," reporter Jacob Ryan of the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting says. "And a vast majority of the time, right now, it's unlikely that you would be able to do that."
On the latest episode of Uncovered, our news podcast, Ryan and WDRB reporter Travis Ragsdale explain the painstaking work that went into the investigation and the debate over whether search warrant approvals should be more transparent.
Ryan started to look into the subject after Louisville police, while executing a search warrant in the middle of the night, fatally shot Breonna Taylor in her apartment on March 13, sparking months of protests.
Listen to the podcast for free below, or find Uncovered by WDRB on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify or other podcast platforms. Remember to subscribe to get future episodes and leave a review of the show.
