Police Reform and Consent Decrees

U.S. District Judge Benjamin Beaton on Dec. 31, 2025 dismissed Louisville’s proposed consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice after DOJ, under new leadership, withdrew support for the agreement, which had been crafted following a Biden‑era civil-rights investigation into Louisville Metro Police Department abuses after Breonna Taylor’s killing. Beaton said responsibility for bringing LMPD into compliance with federal law must remain with local elected officials and residents, noting that DOJ has abandoned similar proposed decrees in Louisville and Minneapolis as too costly and based on flawed legal theories, even as Louisville continues some reforms such as banning no‑knock warrants and piloting behavioral‑health 911 responses.