Hearing on bill to restrict no-knock warrants cuts advocates short

Prompted by the death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman shot and killed in Kentucky last March when law enforcement carried out a no-knock warrant, Nevada lawmakers are debating legislation to restrict, but not ban, the practice within the state.

The proposal was initially welcomed by criminal justice activists, civil rights groups and law enforcement alike, but an amendment discussed during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday to limit evidence secured during unauthorized raids could jeopardize support from law enforcement.

Further complicating matters, advocacy groups and those impacted by police brutality expecting to testify on Senate Bill 50 were outraged after the committee limited testimony to 10 minutes for each side.

“I think the limitations on time are completely on purpose,” said Holly Welborn, the policy director for the ACLU of Nevada. “I think the Legislature, given the obstacles they have, they are defaulting to a system that is excluding the public.”

Read more: https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2021/02/18/hearing-on-bill-to-restrict-no-knock-warrants-cuts-advocates-short/