Federal judge dismisses consent decree meant to spark police reform in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A federal judge Wednesday dismissed the consent decree agreement between Louisville Metro government and the U.S. Department of Justice that laid out sweeping reforms of Louisville police in the wake of Breonna Taylor's death.

In an order filed in federal court Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Beaton said while violations certainly existed within the department, "the responsibility to lead the Louisville Metro Police Department in compliance with federal law must remain with the City’s elected representatives and the people they serve."

In May 2025, the DOJ announced plans to dismiss the consent decree, saying it "would have imposed years of micromanagement of local police departments by federal courts and expensive independent monitors, and potentially hundreds of millions of dollars of compliance costs, without a legally or factually adequate basis for doing so."

Beaton said his ruling ended the federal government's agreement with the city, calling it a "presumably well-meaning but ultimately misdirected effort toward judicial supervision of the police department."

The decree between Metro Government and the Justice Department was reached in the final days of President Joe Biden's administration but needed court approval to progress. The agreement stems from a 248-page DOJ report in 2023 that concluded Louisville police and Metro government for years engaged in practices that violated the U.S. Constitution and federal law, including excessive use of force and searches based on invalid warrants.

Earlier this year, Metro Government urged a federal judge to sign the decree. The DOJ has asked for multiple extensions for filing documents related to the Louisville consent decree in U.S. District Court and withdrew six attorneys pursuing the consent decree and replaced them with one attorney, according to court records.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in May that he expected Beaton would dismiss the consent decree, at which point he said the city would implement its own version of the agreement called "Community Commitment — Louisville's Consent Decree."

"This community commitment will lead to the same results we were pushing for in the court-ordered consent decree," Greenberg said, adding that Metro government will hire its own third-party entity to monitor the results. "The goals and objectives are exactly the same."

Asked why the city didn't object to the DOJ's request for dismissal, Greenberg said "we did not oppose because we see the writing on the wall and we need to move forward. We can't afford any more delays. There's no point in delaying the inevitable."

The mayor wouldn't discuss whether he believed the decision was politically motivated.

"While this is not the outcome we'd hoped for ... it is an outcome we planned for," Greenberg said. "We are embracing this opportunity to make LMPD one of the most respected and transparent police departments."

In September, Greenberg announced the city selected Effective Law Enforcement for All (ELEFA) as the independent monitor for Community Commitment – Louisville’s Consent Decree, following a process that included public input. The group will report directly to the new Community Safety Commission and issue semi-annual public reports. ELEFA will also meet regularly with community members under a renewable contract with Louisville Metro Government for up to five years.

How we got here

The Biden administration's Justice Department reported the findings of its review March 8, 2023, nearly two years after the 2020 police killing of Taylor, which prompted both local and national criticism of the police department as well as months of protests.

Greenberg said he has left a message with Taylor's family and hopes to speak with her soon. In a written statement Wednesday, the family's attorney said they're "upset, as can be expected.

"This dismissal is the result of the Mayoral Administration dragging by its feet to finalize the consent decree," the family said. "The investigation concluded in August of 2023 and it took well over a year, at the tail end of President Biden's administration for Mayor Greenberg to sign off on the decree. This city deserves true reform and the city needs to be committed to following through on every single item that they agreed to in the decree. It is up to the residents of this city to hold the police department and the Mayor accountable - and the best way to do that is through our votes."

With a court-ordered consent decree, the city or LMPD would be held in contempt if they refuse or fail to intact the changes. It would also fund an independent monitor who would oversee the police department's progress and report to the court.

The Greenberg's administration previously said it expects the consent decree will be approved by a federal judge and be completed in less than five years. An independent monitor who reports to the court would oversee the police department's progress.

Louisville Metro government and federal officials paused the effort to hire an outside group as they waited to see how Beaton will rule.

The city planned to name the monitor — typically a team of experts in policing, law and other specialties — by the spring. It has agreed to pay no more than $1.475 million annually for an initial two-year term.

Still, Greenberg and Humphrey have pledged they will have independent oversight of the agreement even if it's not a court-mandated process. The mayor proposed $750,000 to fund a monitor position in his budget plan now before Metro Council.

The mayor said progress will be shared with the public and ongoing reports will be available.

Under the agreement, the department would revise its use-of-force and training policies, improve search warrant practices, ensure traffic stops are conducted legally, ensure the fair investigations of police misconduct and address sexual harassment allegations in the department, among other reforms.

The deal addresses 13 specific areas, from traffic stops to officer assistance, and requires police to show "substantial compliance" with the promised changes before each section is satisfied.

In 2023, then-U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland listed myriad examples of Louisville police misconduct and crimes, such as throwing drinks at pedestrians, racial disparities in arrests and traffic stops, assaulting citizens with disabilities and calling Black people "monkeys, animal and boy."

"This conduct is unacceptable," Garland said on March 8, 2023. "It is heartbreaking. ... It is an affront to the people of Louisville who deserve better."

The federal investigation into LMPD cites 63 different incidents of alleged misconduct, according to an appendix of the 90-page report the DOJ released following their roughly two-year investigation.

Greenberg said LMPD has over the last two years changed over 260 policies, restructured its leadership and created an accountability and improvement bureau, among other reforms.

"We are creating a culture of improvement," Humphrey said. "We are going in the right direction."

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