A Kentucky judge who signed off on the police raid that resulted in the death of Breonna Taylor lost her reelection bid on Tuesday.
Judge Mary Shaw lost to Tracy Evette Davis for the Circuit Court Judge - 5th Division seat by 2,367 votes as of Wednesday morning.
She faced criticism in the past for signing the falsified warrant in March 2020 for the raid of Taylor's apartment.
Tracy Davis is a native Louisvillian, mother, grandmother and practicing attorney.
She said while practicing, she saw instances of unconscious bias. She was sometimes the only woman or person of color in a courtroom, and saw ways to make the system more accessible.
Davis felt switching spots, running for a seat, was a way to have a broader impact.
Her aim is to bring transparency to the court. She also values the use of technology to make things easier on lawyers and litigants.
"I do want change," Davis said. "I do want the city to heal, I do want people to trust the judicial system and to have faith that when they come seeking justice, justice is what they will get regardless of where they come from or who they are."
Responding to questions of how the race was impacted by the attention on the Breonna Taylor race and Judge Shaw, Davis said she felt after the pandemic, people started paying more attention to the decisions made in the judiciary and by lawmakers.
Davis said in this race, she felt people researched more than they may have before and paid attention to the votes they cast in judicial contests.
“Who are the people on the judiciary, what are their thoughts, what are their approaches to things, what are their thoughts on bond and bail," she said. “I can honestly say the people went through the races and selected who they thought was the best fit for the judicial system.”
