Progressive District Attorney (DA) of Philadelphia Larry Krasner is defending himself against Pennsylvania state legislators who held him in contempt last week via a bipartisan vote of 162-38. Krasner failed to comply with a subpoena for documents to aid an investigation issued by the Select Committee on Restoring Law and Order, which is questioning the DA’s failure to aggressively prosecute criminals.
Krasner is serving his second term in office and previously won by wide margins. His platform called for the end of mass incarceration, selective prosecution of lesser offenses and a focus on supporting victims.
Following the vote, three Republican lawmakers called for Krasner’s impeachment, citing the rising violence that has plagued the city since he took office in 2018.
Philadelphia’s crime and murder rates have continuously soared. Over 1,400 people have been shot this year, with hundreds being fatal. This exceeds both New York and Los Angeles—much larger cities. Critics have attributed the increase in violence in Philadelphia to Krasner and other liberal prosecutors. However, supporters express that economic woes exacerbated by COVID-19 and diminished social programs have caused the spike in crime.
Responding to the vote and calls for impeachment, Krasner claimed that this was a politically motivated and unconstitutional effort to remove him from office and force him to turn over the documents.
“The Select Committee also rushed the contempt resolution through the House without affording District Attorney Krasner basic due process, including the opportunity to appear before the House and explain why his office did not – and could not under the law – produce grand jury and other materials sought by the Subpoena,” a statement on the DA’s Office website said. “District Attorney Krasner was not informed that the House would be considering a House resolution to hold him in contempt. Nor was he given the opportunity to appear before the House prior to its vote.”
The Select Committee on Restoring Law and Order will be holding two days of hearings on Thursday, Sept. 29 and Friday, Sept. 30 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, deciding if they will advocate impeachment to the state House.
However, after discovering these procedures, the DA requested time to testify at the hearings in order to defend his actions.
“The District Attorney will not dictate the procedures taken by a House Committee in the midst of an investigation,” PA House Republican spokesman Jason Gottesman said in a statement. “It is shocking that someone who refused to comply with a duly-issued subpoena and challenged the validity of the Select Committee in court is now trying to control the process by which that Committee operates.”
PA House Republicans have asserted that they will only allow Krasner to testify when he is under oath and answers specific questions drafted by the Committee.
Impeachment has been rare in PA history, with only two cases involving judges. The first was in 1994 with the impeachment of State Supreme Court Justice Rolf Larsen and the second was in 1811 with Judge Thomas Cooper.
Considering the bipartisan backlash against Krasner, he could possibly become the third.
