DV Journal

While Judge Wendy Pugh was dismissing murder charges against Officer Mark Dial on Tuesday, I was watching the first episode of Tigre Hill’s new docu-series “72 Seconds in Rittenhouse Square” about the murder of Sean Schellenger.

I had been interviewed for a brief segment, where I talked about the significance of Frank Rizzo to the city of Philadelphia. Reflecting on his legacy, I said, “When I was growing up, there was no bad side to Frank Rizzo. I grew up in an Italian-Irish family, working-class, blue-collar grandparents, and they loved Frank Rizzo. He had been the police commissioner for years before he became mayor. He was law-and-order; he represented the thin blue line. The Frank Rizzo that I know, and that I remember, and that I love, was someone who took on the bad guys.”

I then mentioned policing had become more “nuanced,” and the Frank Rizzo that I loved would not exactly fit into the current mold. To be honest, very few old-school police officers would fit into the new politically correct and socially conscious mold, where the words used and the risks taken are very different than the ones that faced a police commissioner who walked around in a tuxedo with a nightstick in his cumberbund.

That was confirmed in the starkest of terms with the case of Officer Dial, who was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Eddie Irizarry.

Irizarry, who had a knife, had been pulled over for driving erratically. While there is some dispute about what warnings were given and what the victim did before Dial opened fire, there is no question that Larry Krasner overcharged the cop. There was little evidence of first-degree, malice aforethought murder, despite what some have pointed to, including a video of the incident.

Family members and professional cop haters are not as discriminating with their legal expertise as a sitting judge, so I have no problem with her honor’s decision to dismiss the charges. The person to blame is a DA who is openly hostile toward the police force and views them as the enemy.

A message to DA Krasner: If you aren’t smart enough to lodge accurate, supportable charges, don’t be surprised when a judge who actually understands the law and criminal statute slaps you down. You have not served the victim’s loved ones in the process by building up false hopes for high-profile prosecutions on flimsy grounds.

When I heard about the judge’s decision, I had two thoughts. The first one was that this was the kind of thing that wouldn’t have happened under Rizzo. Yes, there was police misconduct and racial profiling. But in the 1960s and 1970s, the police department didn’t have to deal with prosecutors who were attempting to undermine their work. The police weren’t perfect, and neither were the prosecutors. But they weren’t waging war against each other, either.

My second thought was that I needed to get all of my shopping and errands taken care of before nightfall because riots and looting were preordained. And I was right.

In fact, I actually got caught up in the mayhem. I was on a bus riding down Chestnut Street in Center City near the Foot Locker and saw police tape and detours because a marauding band of violent men and women had vandalized and looted the store. Later that evening, I saw on the news video of the looters strutting out of the store, some nonchalantly carrying out clothing, electronics, and other stolen goods. Far from being spontaneous, there is evidence that the riots were actually orchestrated online.

The city has tried to say the riots weren’t related to the dismissal of charges against Officer Dial. They are desperate to separate the vandalism and animalistic behavior of some Philadelphians from what they believe to be “legitimate” peaceful protests. But they can’t do it because the conduct is intimately intertwined.

In a city that no longer respects law enforcement and believes that criminals are innocent until proven guilty, but police are always guilty, even when acquitted, we have enabled these outbursts of anarchy. These looters might not know who Eddie Irizarry was, but they do know that Mark Dial wore a badge, and they have such hatred, disrespect, and disregard for the system that they will take any opportunity to try and attack it.

To anyone who thinks the city was worse under Rizzo, get used to the new “politically correct and socially conscious” code of conduct.

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Bensalem Police Director William McVey released a strongly worded statement about how lax crime policies in Philadelphia are negatively affecting the suburbs.

McVey said he wanted to support Abington Police Chief Patrick Malloy, who was attacked in The Philadelphia Inquirer when he spoke out about a suspect arrested for trying to kidnap a girl at the Willow Grove mall. Malloy had noted the defendant should have been in jail in Philadelphia, not out in public committing more crimes. Malloy called the incident a “disgrace” and said, “The system failed.”

“Malloy’s frustration is shared by many police chiefs across the region, especially those that border Philadelphia,” said McVey. “Suburban chiefs from the region can provide numerous examples of the effects of bail reform, but the most horrific was that of Corporal James O’Conner, who, while performing his duties as a Philadelphia SWAT Officer, was shot and killed by a suspect with an extremely violent past who remained on the streets. This broken process has to end.”

McVey noted the three things he said hamper the effectiveness of Philadelphia police: The Drivers’ Equity Act, District Attorney Larry Krasner’s policies, and a lack of political leadership.

The Drivers’ Equity Act prevents Philadelphia officers from stopping drivers for minor issues, such as a broken taillight.

“It is common knowledge that criminals travel in vehicles that are unregistered, uninspected, or have equipment violations,” McVey wrote. He said that traffic stops keep roadways safe and often result in arrests for guns, drugs, or on warrants.

In Bensalem, 40 percent of those arrested are Philadelphia residents, up 10 percent from five years ago.

McVey later told DVJournal, “The Driver Equity Act takes away the right of a Philadelphia police officer to stop people for certain specific, what they call ‘minor’ offenses. And what has happened is you have criminals now that just drive without fear. We have seen an increase in the number of convicted felons that we have stopped on our car stops for minor offenses and subsequently located a gun in their car, an illegal gun.” He noted that convicted felons are precluded from owning a gun. “Most of them are from the city of Philadelphia. We’ve had nine of them this past year.”

Mike Chitwood, the retired Upper Darby police superintendent, concurred with McVey’s assessment.

“I agree with him 100 percent,” said Chitwood. “All along the borderline with Philadelphia, these smaller communities, because of crime allowed to occur in Philadelphia. And it expands. I can’t tell you how many times (police) make a car stop and come up with a gun or some other evidence.”

“With the escalating crime, violent crime and shootings and murders in Philadelphia,” McVey said, “the police are your number one tool to combat that, and they’ve taken away some of their tools to combat what. And what happens now is more criminals are driving about freely, and they’re going out in the suburban towns carrying guns, committing crimes.” It has also affected the traffic accident mortality rate across the country as more jurisdictions pass similar laws. It is up 18 percent since 2020, according to NITSA, he added.

“As most people know, minor things lead to serious things, so you can’t just give a free pass. And the other issue is the (Philadelphia) District Attorney’s Office with its bail reform.” He said there is a “striking difference” between bail set in the counties and bail set in Philadelphia for similar crimes.

The other problem in the city is that Krasner has prioritized investigating and prosecuting police officers, McVey noted. That atmosphere has made police less likely to do their jobs proactively, he said.

That has officers leaving the Philadelphia Police Department for other jobs, including in the suburbs.

“We’re seeing a mass exodus (from PPD),” McVey said. “In the last five years, we’ve hired 16 officers out of Philadelphia” who are “doing a phenomenal job.” Bensalem has 106 officers. And many of the officers the city is losing are the best of the best, he said. “I really think the city needs to do something and do something fast to prevent it from getting worse.”

A Philadelphia police spokesman declined to comment about McVey’s remarks.

In Bensalem, the police have the support of Mayor Joe DiGirolamo, “who unapologetically makes public safety public safety his first priority for his township,” McVey wrote. “He not only supports our officers in their duties but encourages our police, by all legal means necessary, to keep our residents safe.”

He also praised Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub, now running for judge, for “holding criminals accountable” and standing “with the men and women in law enforcement.”

“This type of leadership from elected officials certainly leads to a safer community for all,” McVey wrote.

Neither Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s office nor Krasner’s spokesperson responded to requests for comment.

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The state legislature may yet rid Philadelphia of progressive DA Larry Krasner.

The House impeachment managers filed an appeal to the state Supreme Court asking it to overturn a Commonwealth Court decision to stop the impeachment. The House voted to impeach Krasner in November 2022.

Under Krasner’s watch, murders and carjackings have skyrocketed in the City of Brotherly Love. Retail theft has jumped due to a non-prosecution policy that has businesses abandoning the city after seeing their bottom lines plummet.

But policy questions are not what is alleged by the impeachment managers. Rather, they allege actual criminal conduct.

Former federal prosecutor and Marine JAG state Rep. Craig Williams (R-Chadds Ford), the lead impeachment manager, talked to the DVJournal Wednesday about the charges against Krasner.

The seven articles of impeachment ranged from lying to a grand jury, lying to the state Supreme Court, failing to inform crime victims, and lying to a federal court.

“We’ve been saying from the beginning that this conduct is unlawful,” said Williams. “Not just that we think that Larry Krasner has not done a fine job as the district attorney, but he has conducted himself in unlawful ways.”

One case that the House managers document in the impeachment appeal is about a Philadelphia police officer, Ryan Pownall, that raised concerns about “prosecutorial misconduct,” including hiding information from a grand jury and a trial judge.

Justice Kevin Dougherty, who recused himself from the appeal, wrote that in the Pownall case, prosecutors had engaged in conduct “worrisome coming from any litigant” but “even more concerning” coming from a prosecutor. There was an “intentional, deliberate choice not to inform the grand jurors about the justification defense” available to Officer Pownall. Further, the prosecution appeared to be “driven by a win-at-all-cost office culture” that treats police officers differently from other defendants.

“It is a crime in the state of Pennsylvania to use your official office to suppress or oppress someone’s legal rights,” said Williams. “It’s called official oppression under Title 18, or conspiracy to do that, or solicitation to do that. In other words, telling one of your subordinates to go do certain things.”

Another case the impeachment managers cite is a federal death penalty case where the prosecutors withheld information from the judge and the victim’s family, said Williams.

“Using your official office to oppress someone else’s legal rights in Pennsylvania constitutes a crime under Title 18, and that’s what I intend to prove,” said Williams.

If the Supreme Court rules in their favor, the next step is to have a trial before the state Senate. And if two-thirds of the Senate votes to convict Krasner, he would be removed from office.

The DVJournal asked Williams what would happen if Krasner refused to leave office. Williams said they would file for a writ with the court to make him go.

“That would be the ultimate act of civil disobedience.”

Many people note Krasner was twice elected to office and question whether the legislature should be getting involved.

“So is that to suggest that once somebody’s elected to office, they can’t commit a crime or they can’t misbehave while in office?” asked Williams. “I think the answer to that’s clearly no. I mean, we, we’ve tried plenty of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia officials for their illegal activity. So being elected to office is not some sort of cloak of immunity.”

Krasner has yet to respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

But lawyers for Krasner had previously filed documents contending the impeachment was unconstitutional and denying any charges the House brought against him.

Krasner is a former defense lawyer whose progressive policies align with a group of other district attorneys whose campaigns were also funded by money from Democratic mega-donor George Soros. When the impeachment articles were introduced by state Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia), Krasner claimed the action was “devastating to democracy, and it shows how far toward fascism the Republican Party is creeping.”

White justified impeachment by saying at that time, “The information contained in the most recent preliminary report was so egregious to me I felt compelled to drop these articles of impeachment,” referencing an interim report that outlined findings but did not include a recommendation of impeachment. “Mr. Krasner has proven himself derelict in his duties as the Philadelphia district attorney by inappropriately using prosecutorial discretion to act against the public’s interest.”

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Impeached Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner is not out of the woods yet.

On Thursday impeachment managers state Reps. Craig Williams (R-Delaware/Chester) and Tim Bonner (R-Mercer/Butler) said they are filing an appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court from the Commonwealth Court’s Dec. 30 decision.

Krasner appealed his impeachment to Commonwealth Court, raising three objections.

The Commonwealth Court rejected two of three objections but upheld a third, finding that the state Senate was not the venue to try Krasner because the allegations did not meet the standard of “misbehavior in office.” But the court did not hear the evidence against Krasner presented during his impeachment.

“The Commonwealth Court never discussed the facts laid out in the articles of impeachment,” said Bonner. Instead, the Commonwealth Court said, any action “must come through the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board, mischaracterizing the true purpose of an impeachment proceeding.”

However,  both the Senate and the Disciplinary Board could take action, he said.

Williams, a former federal and military prosecutor, explained that Krasner’s acts meet the definition of misbehavior in office.

“There was no analysis whatsoever (by the court),” said Williams. He then discussed Krasner’s handling of a 2017 police shooting case, saying it was a prime example of Krasner’s misbehavior in office. In that case, Krasner used a grand jury to bring charges against Officer Ryan Pownall, although an internal investigation found Pownall acted properly to defend his own life and that of others under state law.

Krasner withheld exculpatory evidence during the litigation, Williams said. When the state Supreme Court eventually reviewed the case, Justice Kevin Dougherty writing separately, excoriated the egregious misconduct by Krasner’s unlawful prosecution of Pownall. The trial court later confirmed this misconduct after hearings and a confrontation with the DA’s office. The case was eventually dismissed.

“In all my time as a prosecutor, I have never seen such deplorable conduct by someone charged with representing the safety and interests of the public,” Williams said. “Misleading the grand jury about the law; hiding that fact from the supervising judge; circumventing due process rights to a preliminary hearing to further hide misleading the grand jury; seeking impermissible appeal to the Supreme Court to retroactively make unlawful what was lawful when it was done; and concealing exculpatory evidence.  All of these actions separately constitute misbehavior in office.  Together, they are evidence of improper or corrupt motive in depriving Officer Pownall of his constitutional rights to liberty.”

During the impeachment process, the House heard from many crime victims who complained about their treatment by Krasner’s office. Krasner, a former defense lawyer, was twice elected as a progressive prosecutor, promising to bring social justice principles for defendants.

Krasner did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

The Senate had set Jan. 18 as the date for the Krasner impeachment trial. However, faced with the Commonwealth Court ruling it put the trial on hold. Asked if the Senate still plans to try the Krasner impeachment case, a spokeswoman said it has a constitutional duty to do so.

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In a unanimous vote, the GOP-controlled state Senate postponed the impeachment trial of controversial Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, charged with the House of Representatives with misbehavior in office and obstructing a legislative investigation.

No new date for the trial was announced.

Talk radio host Dom Giordano, a Philadelphia resident, has led the fight to have to have Krasner impeached.

“I would be OK if the Senate announced they were going to appeal but this decision is political cowardice,” Giordano said.

Last month, Krasner’s lawyers filed an answer to the state Senate’s summons for him to appear at the impeachment trial, then scheduled for January 18.

In the 22-page document, the lawyers said the articles of impeachment the state House filed are unconstitutional and that Krasner has not engaged in misbehavior while in office as the House alleged. Commonwealth Court Judge Ellen Ceisler agreed that none of the articles filed against Krasner amounted to “misbehavior in office,” but she rejected Krasner’s assertion that the Legislature doesn’t have the power to remove local officials from office.

Crime rates have soared in the city under Krasner’s watch, including 2021’s bloody record of 562 killings. Murders dropped to 516 in 2022 and there had already been 9 homicides reported as of Jan. 10, 2023.  Carjackings also doubled to more than 1,000 last year.

State Rep. Craig Williams (R-Chester/Delaware) was among the representatives chosen to present the impeachment case against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to the state Senate.

Williams  believes he was chosen because of his background as a prosecutor.

“I am a former assistant U.S. Attorney for Philadelphia and Denver,” said Williams. “The former chief prosecutor of the Marine Corp Reserves, former chief prosecutor of the largest and busiest Marine base.”

Both Williams and Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia) declined to comment Wednesday. White pushed to impeach Krasner, bringing crime victims to the capitol to share their heartbreaking stories and later to testify during hearings held by the House in Philadelphia.

A spokeswoman for the state Senate said the move to delay the impeachment trial is related to the Commonwealth Court’s decision. This will give the legislature’s lawyers time to study the case and possibly file an appeal.

Removing Krasner from office will require the support of two-thirds of the state Senate.

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Lawyers for Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner on Wednesday filed an answer to the state Senate’s summons for him to appear at a Jan. 18 impeachment trial.

In the 22-page document, the lawyers said the articles of impeachment the state House filed are unconstitutional and that Krasner has not engaged in misbehavior while in office as the House alleged.

Furthermore, the lawyers wrote, Krasner was elected by Philadelphia voters twice to do exactly what he is doing, reforming the process of criminal justice in the city. They further claimed the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, not the legislature, has jurisdiction over attorneys.

In November, the House voted 107-85 to impeach Krasner. The Select Committee recommended impeachment after hearing crime victims’ impassioned testimony about how Krasner did not convict the culprits and turned a cold shoulder to their grief and fear.

Krasner is a former defense lawyer whose progressive policies align with a group of other district attorneys whose campaigns were also funded by money from Democratic mega-donor George Soros. When the impeachment articles were introduced by Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia), Krasner claimed the action was “devastating to democracy and it shows how far toward fascism the Republican Party is creeping.”

But White, who pressed for impeachment for bringing crime victims to the capitol said, “Mr. Krasner has proven himself derelict in his duties as the district attorney of Philadelphia by inappropriately using prosecutorial discretion to act against the public’s interest.”

But Krasner’s lawyers said his office secured convictions in 87 percent of the more than 500 homicide cases held for trial since 2017. However, last year the city saw 562 homicides and had reached 502 as of Dec. 20 for this year.

“Because of decades of divestment, a deadly pandemic that devastated the economy and normal enforcement initiatives and prevention of crime, and an unprecedented rise in firearms purchases, Philadelphia experienced a spike in homicides in 2021 and 2022 –a trend mirrored across Pennsylvania (where many counties experienced higher rates of increase in homicide than Philadelphia) and across the entire country,” the lawyers wrote.

And further, they argued Krasner “has worked tirelessly to find modern solutions that increase public safety by building up impacted communities in Philadelphia in ways that prevent crime after decades of chronic violence based on the failure of traditional approaches.” And while members of the legislature might disagree “the citizens of Philadelphia elected him because they overwhelmingly agree with those ideas and policies.”

Krasner is “an elected official” who is “not subject to impeachment by the state legislature, the lawyers assert. Also, because the impeachment was not carried out in the legislative session where it began, it is “null and void.”

Krasner denies all the allegations against him. They are “unsupported by any evidence whatsoever; they ignore a plethora of research showing that policies like the district attorney’s do not lead to increases in violent crime and at least one recent, sweeping study shows such policies correlate with reduced violent crime” his lawyers said.

The attorneys claimed the decisions Krasner has made were an “exercise of his prosecutorial discretion” and not a legitimate reason to remove him.

Krasner also “denies each and every material allegation” and “denies he engaged in misbehavior in office in the nature of violating the rules of professional conduct or code of judicial conduct,” the lawyers wrote. “To the contrary, District Attorney Krasner and the District Attorney’s Office and its lawyers fulfilled all of their duties and obligations as lawyers.”

If the Senate were to convict Krasner, “he would be immediately removed from office,” said Erica Clayton Wright, communications director for Interim Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward.

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State Rep. Craig Williams (R-Chester/Delaware) was among the representatives chosen to present the impeachment case against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to the state Senate.

Williams said he believes he was chosen because of his background as a prosecutor.

“I am a former assistant U.S. Attorney for Philadelphia and Denver,” said Williams. “The former chief prosecutor of the Marine Corp Reserves, former chief prosecutor of the largest and busiest Marine base.”

Rep. Tim Bonner (R-Mercer/Butler), another representative chosen as an impeachment manager, also has a prosecutorial background as an assistant district attorney.

Williams said though a trial date has not been set he is already preparing to present the seven articles of impeachment against Krasner to the Senate. Removal from office would require a two-thirds majority vote.

House Speaker Bryan Cutler also named Rep. Jared Solomon (D-Philadelphia) as the third impeachment manager.

“These members exemplify the competency and character required in this moment,” Cutler said. “Their credibility cannot be understated, and each of their diverse experiences and education will help ensure this process is treated with the utmost professionalism and thoroughness. This trial must be transparent and presented at the highest possible standard, something this committee is more than capable of doing.”

After an investigation, the House voted largely along party lines to impeach Krasner, finding that he has not fulfilled his duties as a prosecutor in the wake of rising crime in Philadelphia. The vote concluded a months-long investigation by a House Select Committee examining the city’s recent surge in violence and what role Krasner’s conduct may have played. The committee heard heartbreaking testimony from witnesses who accused Krasner of not seeking justice for crime victims, even as homicides, shootings, and carjackings soared.

In a 107-85 vote, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a resolution to impeach Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (D). The seven articles of impeachment are now going to the Senate for trial.

The vote concluded a months-long investigation by a House Select Committee examining the city’s recent surge in violence and what role Krasner’s conduct may have played. The committee heard heartbreaking testimony from witnesses who accused Krasner of not seeking justice for crime victims, even as homicides, shootings, and carjackings soared.

Krasner is a former defense lawyer, whose progressive policies align with a group of other district attorneys whose campaigns were funded by money from Democrat megadonor George Soros. When the articles were introduced by Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia) last month, he called it “devastating to democracy and it shows how far toward fascism the Republican Party is creeping.”

White said the House had no choice.

“The information that was contained in the most recent preliminary report was so egregious to me I felt compelled to drop these articles of impeachment,” she said, referencing an interim report that outlined findings but did not include a recommendation of impeachment. “Mr. Krasner has proven himself derelict in his duties as the District Attorney of Philadelphia by inappropriately using prosecutorial discretion to act against the public’s interest.”

The seven articles introduced as amendments by Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams) list instances of “misbehavior in office,” ranging from the initial refusal to comply with the House Select Committee’s subpoenas to misleading both judges and crime victims in some cases. Another alleges Krasner made some crimes, like prostitution, theft, and drug offenses, “de facto legal” by refusing to prosecute them.

Unlike the most recent impeachment by the Pennsylvania House, when Justice Rolf Larsen was removed from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 1994 following a conviction on criminal conspiracy charges related to prescription drugs, there is no criminal charge associated with the articles being sent to the Senate.

The votes were largely along party lines, with Rep. Mike Puskaric (R-Allegheny) voting against adding the amendments and passing the resolution.

Democrats accused Republicans of attempting to undermine an election held in Philadelphia. They also warned the impeachment would create a dangerous precedent. Rep. Mike Zabel (D-Delaware) provided some context from his days working in the District Attorney’s Office under Seth Williams (D). He referenced his high caseloads and all the different circumstances that could prevent convictions.

“The truth is prosecuting crimes in one of the largest cities in the country is a complex task with a never-ending parade of challenges,” he said. “There’s a myriad of factors that affect the outcome of every single criminal case…These articles attempt to pin the entirety of fault and blame on a single man for the challenges in a sprawling and endlessly complex criminal justice system.”

Following the vote, Krasner released a statement via Twitter. “Philadelphians’ votes, and Philadelphia voters, should not be erased. History will harshly judge this anti-democratic authoritarian effort to erase Philly’s votes – votes by Black, brown, and broke people in Philadelphia. And voters will have the last word.”

Krasner won re-election by a wide margin in an election with an extremely low turnout. White noted only 7.6 percent of the total population voted for Krasner in last November’s election.

Conviction and removal from office would require 34 guilty votes in a Senate with just 28 Republicans. If Krasner is convicted, he would be just the second person impeached and removed from office in the legislature’s 340-year history.

The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee voted on Tuesday 14-8 along party lines, with three members not voting, to send impeachment charges against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to the full chamber for a vote.

The vote came after a House Select Committee investigation of the district attorney’s actions since taking office in January 2018. The interim reports raised serious questions about the progressive prosecutor’s policies but did not include a formal recommendation to impeach.

Several Delaware Valley representatives played key roles in Tuesday’s vote.

Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia), who submitted the impeachment articles last month, laid out her case to the Committee before the vote.

“Since taking his oath of office, Mr. Krasner has chosen not to exercise his responsibilities as district attorney with fidelity,” she said. “Rather Mr. Krasner has engaged in misbehavior in office and obstruction. Mr. Krasner has proven himself derelict in his duties as district attorney in Philadelphia, inappropriately using prosecutorial discretion to act against the public interest by consistently dropping charges against repeat offenders, refusing to prosecute certain crimes outright, while also withdrawing and dismissing charges under the Uniform Firearms Act at an abnormally high rate.”

White maintained Krasner’s actions, and their contribution to soaring crime in the city, established the “misconduct” element required to pursue impeachment.

Rep. Jason Dawkins (D-Philadelphia) opposed the move to impeach. He told his fellow committee members about the murder of his brother when Dawkins was 13. Instead of castigating the district attorney at the time (Lynne Abraham) for the crime, he accused the General Assembly of not providing adequate resources to communities like his, echoing Krasner’s arguments about rising crime in Philadelphia.

“There is a dereliction of duty among all of us if this is how we’re going to proceed if we’re stating that these crimes in Philadelphia are caused by the lack of effort, or lack of movement, or lack of any of these things that we are holding him accountable to,” Dawkins said. “We can look to some of the root causes that we have talked about in our Philadelphia delegation platform, when we talk about poverty, talk about all the things that come out of poverty, of why some of these young people are making these very, very bad decisions.”

Dawkins’ attempt to table the impeachment charges until a hearing could be held to examine the report and discuss the circumstances surrounding Philadelphia’s crime surges failed by a 14-8 vote, with three members not voting.

Rep. Todd Stephens (R-Horsham) was one of the non-votes. Stephens could not be reached for comment.

Rep. Jared Solomon (D-Philadelphia) called Krasner “woefully inadequate as a leader in the city,” and he called out the district attorney for inadequate training of front-line prosecutors as well as his “failure to provide effective, efficient and predictable enforcement of gun-related offenses.”

However, he opposed impeachment and urged the committee to follow legal precedent, which has never impeached an elected official, nor has ever done so without specific criminal charges. He compared the attempt to impeach Krasner to Republicans’ attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

White rebuffed the argument that impeachment was a violation of the democratic process. “It’s been said that ‘elections have consequences,’ absolutely,” she said, “Who oversees the district attorney in Philadelphia? We do. We’re the only body that can take action to impact this man for what he has done to our city.”

Krasner was given the opportunity to testify before the House Select Committee investigating his tenure but refused the closed-door hearing offered in October. Instead, he took to the Capitol steps, accusing Republicans of a politically-motivated witch hunt and insisted the vote on his fate would occur before the midterm elections.

Following the vote, White told reporters she expected the full chamber vote to happen Wednesday. She also expects bipartisan support for the impeachment articles, as the House had bipartisan support for a contempt charge earlier in the year after the district attorney’s office refused to comply with subpoenas and requests from the House Select Committee. Instead, the district attorney sued to challenge the committee’s validity in Commonwealth Court.

For Philadelphia’s Martina White, filing articles of impeachment against her city’s district attorney is not about Larry Krasner. It is about crime victims.

“Our people have suffered for long enough and his policies have pretty much destroyed our city,” the Republican state representative told DVJournal Wednesday, just hours after announcing the impeachment articles were being filed. And, she said, she saw no reason to wait for the Select Committee process to run its course.

“Earlier this week I took note of a report that was issued by the Select Committee on Restoring Law and Order that described egregious misbehavior and conduct by Larry Krasner’s office and himself,” said White. “So, I just felt compelled to move forward with this. I don’t feel that it’s necessary to wait any longer. Our people have suffered for long enough and his policies have pretty much destroyed our city.”

Mike Chitwood

While the investigation is ongoing, “I just feel compelled to move forward because there are instances of repeated disregard of victims on sentencing matters, such as in the case of Lisa Hart-Newman, who was left to freeze to death as an infant at the scene of her parents’ murders,” said White.

The district attorney’s office never contacted Newman before going before a judge “to advocate on behalf of her parents’ murderer. The staggering amount of dysfunction that has come to light from untrained staff, from top to bottom being too inexperienced to successfully try cases,” said White.

“They have a lack of institutional knowledge on basic courtroom procedures, and it’s led to disastrous results. I mean, we have high levels of withdrawals, dismissals basically, criminals are walking free.”

Retired police officer Mike Chitwood said the impeachment move is good news for area law enforcement. Chitwood, who served 19 years as a Philadelphia officer before becoming police superintendent for Upper Darby, told DVJournal the officers working with this district attorney are very disheartened.

“The morale in the Philadelphia Police Department is zero to none,” said Chitwood. “That’s how bad it is, not only because of Krasner in there but because of the lack of support that they themselves receive from the (Kenney) administration.”

Asked whether Philadelphia voters, who are overwhelmingly Democratic, would just elect another progressive ideologue, Chitwood said, “Here is what really, really galls me, when he ran for reelection and won, where were the voters? Why did they vote him in?”

“He has allowed criminals to run the system. He has allowed criminals to run Philadelphia. And he has allowed criminals to do whatever they do without consequences. Period. That’s exactly what he’s done,” Chitwood added.

And, says White, it is not just voters and legislators upset by Krasner’s performance. Judges have noticed, too.

“Common Pleas Judge Barbara McDermott actually called the office’s prosecutors incompetent,” said White. And Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty, a Philadelphia native, issued a scathing opinion blasting the district attorney’s handling of a case.

Asked what was next, White said it would go to the House Judiciary Committee, then to the full House for a vote. After that the Senate would then have a trial, she said.

“The Speaker, I believe just put on another day (on the House calendar) for us to be able to facilitate running this impeachment article out of the House and get it over to the Senate,” White said.

Krasner had tried to stonewall the committee, she said. But after the House found him to be in contempt he turned over some materials.

Krasner pushed back against the impeachment, accusing the Republican-led House of political grandstanding, since it is shortly before the midterm elections, and also of racism.

White denied those contentions.

“This is specifically regarding public safety and had he not been a bad actor and misbehaving in his duties and responsibilities to the public and to do what’s in the public’s interest, he wouldn’t be going through this,” she said. And as for racism, “I would say it’s a fallacy, it’s a distraction from what is actually happening before our own eyes.

“Black and Brown people are dying on our streets and the district attorney standing there watching it and saying that we don’t have a crisis of crime.”

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