DV Journal

Impeached Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner filed a lawsuit earlier this month urging the courts to block the state Senate from trying him on the charges levied by the Pennsylvania House.

On Friday, the GOP-controlled Senate fired back with a lawsuit of its own, arguing the state constitution requires them to try the progressive district attorney.

Krasner’s lawsuit, targeting interim Senate President Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) and the as-yet-unnamed members of the Senate committee overseeing the impeachment, argued his trial would be unprecedented.

“Never before has the legislature exercised its power to impeach and remove someone duly elected twice for things that do not come close to a crime,” Krasner’s lawyers told the court. “And never before has the statewide legislature exercised its power to impeach a locally elected officer like District Attorney Krasner.”

Ward responded in Commonwealth Court and also filed a “Cross-Application for Summary Relief” arguing the Court cannot hear this matter without the Senate as a party, given that the suit seeks a declaration and order as to the rights of the Senate as a body.

In November, the House voted 107-85 to impeach Krasner, a progressive Democrat, who has presided over skyrocketing crime in Philadelphia. Under his watch, there have been 470 murders this year (as of Dec. 11) and 562 homicides in 2021. The city has seen more than 1,000 carjackings in 2022 as well.

The Senate set Jan. 18 as the date for the impeachment trial.

Krasner argues that as the duly elected district attorney, he is not subject to impeachment by the House and that the impeachment should not cross over to a new session that will begin on January 3.

In response to the House impeachment vote, Krasner said on 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.”

In the filing, Ward told the court the Senate is obligated to act upon the articles of impeachment according to Pennsylvania’s constitution.

“In commanding the Senate to try ‘all’ impeachments, the state constitution reflects a deliberate intent to ensure that the Senate’s impeachment function exists independent of its legislative powers,” according to the filing.

Ward also notes there were at least five prior impeachments in Pennsylvania. And if an impeachment is not permitted to go into the next session, a person who committed offenses would be able to walk away on a technicality based on timing rather than being held to account for their actions, Ward argued.

And Krasner, although he claims he is not bound by the legislature’s jurisdiction, “is in a position of public trust and is entrusted with exerting the power of the Commonwealth within Philadelphia County,” Ward’s filing noted.

Republicans said the definition of “misbehavior in office” was left vague so the drafters of impeachment in the House can “define its contours.”

“The context and the whole design of the impeachment clauses show that these acts were to be official, and the unlawfulness was to consist in a violation of public duty which might or might not have been an ordinary indictable offense,” the filing states.

And, conversely, Ward argued that since the Senate has not formed its impeachment committee, Krasner’s lawsuit is too early to be “ripe” for the court to act on.

The House committee that recommended impeachment heard from crime victims who said Krasner’s progressive policies that tilt toward the criminal rather than the victim had, in some cases, led to the deaths of their loved ones by those very criminals.

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The state Senate is expected to consider three resolutions Tuesday that are procedural steps in beginning the impeachment trial process for Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.

Earlier this month, the state House voted 107-85 to impeach Krasner, a progressive Democrat, who has presided over escalating crime in Philadelphia. Under his watch, there have been 470 murders this year (as of Sunday) and 562 homicides in 2021. The city has seen more than 1,000 carjackings in 2022 as well.

The push to oust Krasner was led by Philadelphia GOP Rep. Martina White, who brought crime victims to Harrisburg to protest and had them testify at an impeachment hearing in Philadelphia.

“The Senate is prepared to move forward with its constitutional obligation to try the impeachment of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner,” said Erica Clayton Wright, spokesperson for the Senate Republican Caucus.

The Senate will consider action on three resolutions which are procedural steps to begin the impeachment process.

“On Tuesday, two resolutions will set the rules of impeachment and invite the House of Representatives to formally present the articles of impeachment to the Senate on Wednesday. Following the delivery of the articles of impeachment to the Senate, all members of the Senate will take an oath to uphold the constitution for the impeachment trial and the Senate will consider the third resolution authorizing a writ of summons (to) District Attorney Larry Krasner formally notifying him of the charges and directing and answer to be delivered by Dec. 21, 2022.

“The Senate will then recess until January 2023 with the impeachment trial slated to begin on Jan. 18,” Wright added.

White declined to comment on Monday and a spokesperson for the House Republicans also refused to comment, saying at this point they will let the Senate process proceed.

Radio talk show host Dom Giordano, a Philadelphia resident, has been outspoken about Krasner and rising crime in the city. He has strongly advocated for Krasner’s impeachment.

“The trial is on and I have great faith in lead prosecutor (Rep.) Craig Williams (R-Chester/Delaware). “I am turning up the heat on Philadelphia state Sens. (Tina) Tartaglione (D) and Jimmy Dillon (D),” Giordano said.

Krasner responded via social media posts.

“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 tweeted.

And he also said via Twitter: “Last week’s impeachment is a shameful attempt to overturn the will of many Philadelphia voters who want a fairer justice system. Our lawsuit challenging the legality of this authoritarian move remains pending in court.”

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Pennsylvania’s House leadership is filing articles of impeachment against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. The progressive prosecutor has become a symbol of what Republicans call “soft-on-crime” policies that they say have led to the national surge in big-city crime.

On the last scheduled business day before Election Day, Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia) filed a resolution that included the articles of impeachment.

The House Select Committee to Restore Law and Order released a second interim report on Monday, which included testimony from public hearings and information from subpoenaed documents and other sources. While the report did not provide any recommendations to move forward on impeachment, it was not the final word from the committee.

White has been involved throughout the impeachment process, attending both days of public hearings in September. She is the lone Republican member of the Philadelphia delegation. During her appearance at the press conference, she cited the 78 percent increase in homicides in Philadelphia since Krasner became district attorney in 2018.

“Larry Krasner is the top law enforcement official who is supposed to be representing the interest of our commonwealth in Philadelphia,” she said at a press conference Wednesday. “His dereliction of duty and despicable behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

She encouraged her colleagues to “put politics aside and do the right thing” in supporting the articles.

Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) accused Krasner of “prioritizing criminals over victims” with policies that have led to fewer prosecutions and substantially higher dismissal and withdrawal rates of crimes. Ecker served on the select committee and insisted the overall behavior and attitudes of the district attorney’s administration met the threshold of an impeachable offense.

He also described the efforts Krasner used to avoid responding to the charges, saying “our work was met with the worst kind of obstruction and defiance.”

“District Attorney Krasner has failed to uphold his elected duty to enforce the laws of Pennsylvania and protect the citizens of the commonwealth,” Ecker said. “That is the very definition of misbehavior in office, which is contained in our Pennsylvania state constitution.”

Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) did not commit to a specific timeline for the voting process. He did note that discussions have occurred with the Speaker’s office and voting days may be added to the calendar and the process may work into the new session next year. However, he flatly denied the accusations of Krasner and others that this is an attempt to influence the upcoming election.

“I believe the people of Philadelphia are no longer free,” Benninghoff said. “Day after day, when I see the news of constantly increasing violence in Philly, I think it’s time to say enough is enough. Philadelphia citizens are prisoners of fear.”

Before the press conference, Krasner took to his Twitter account, decrying the efforts, insisting no crime was committed, and claiming the House Republicans “just don’t think Philly has a right to govern itself.”

“It’s the last day of session before the election. The House could pass gun reform. It could improve our schools. It could work to improve our infrastructure. Instead, it is playing political theatre and trying to remove Philly’s right to vote,” read one tweet.

One of the issues pinpointed during public testimony that was also mentioned in the report was the inconsistent and inadequate enforcement of existing gun laws, notably VUFA cases as handled by the district attorney’s office. Since taking office in 2018, withdrawals and dismissals of cases have increased dramatically in Philadelphia. Many charged who later walk free have been charged with other offenses, including homicide.

The 63-page report released by the committee detailed the results of dozens of interviews and documents reviewed by the committee. It also described Krasner’s reluctance to cooperate with the investigation. Krasner had sued the General Assembly in August in Commonwealth Court over the validity of the committee. His initial refusal to testify led to a bipartisan vote in the House to hold the district attorney in contempt. The report noted Krasner then submitted a six-page letter to satisfy the testimony request.

The committee also listened to heart-wrenching testimony from crime victims and their families who described the callous treatment they received from the district attorney’s office.

There have been 438 homicides in Philadelphia this year and 562 in 2021. The city has also seen more than 1,000 carjackings since this time last year, including one involving Democratic Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon.

“When we repeatedly see the extensive criminal histories of those we arrest for violent crime, the question needs to be asked as to why they were yet again back on the street and terrorizing our communities,” Philadelphia Police Superintendent Danielle Outlaw recently said.

If the House votes to impeach him, Krasner would next be subject to a trial in the state Senate, which would then vote on whether to remove him from office.

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Testimony before the House Select Committee investigating crime in Philadelphia turned away from personal stories and toward data and policy Friday. It was a sharp contrast with Thursday’s emotional stories from families who lost loved ones to homicide.

Witnesses linked the city’s decrease in firearms convictions since 2018 with progressive District Attorney Larry Krasner’s decision to withdraw his office from the Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Association that same year.

Mark Bergstrom, executive director of the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, presented the data-rich Comprehensive Study of Violations of Pennsylvania’s Uniform Firearms Act (VUFA). From 2015 to 2020, the study examined arrests and convictions over firearms charges, misdemeanor, and felony charges, with or without additional violence charges.

Bergstrom noted that unlike the other 66 counties in Pennsylvania, all charges in Philadelphia must be approved by the district attorney’s office. As the state’s lone first-class county, it is responsible for over a third of all VUFA dockets. More than half of those are co-charged with violent offenses. The number of VUFA dockets filed, especially those with first or second-degree felony charges, has risen since Krasner took office in 2018. The downward trend from 2015 to 2017 of violent offenses accompanying VUFA dockets reversed from 2018 to 2020.

While the study found statewide guilty verdicts have dropped in the timeframe, the sharpest decline in rates appears to be from Philadelphia. Krasner’s office has seen conviction rates on VUFA charges with first or second-degree felony drop from 88 percent convicted in 2015 to 69 percent in 2019 and 64 percent in 2020. Overall, the VUFA conviction rate in the city is 77 percent in the timeframe studied, trailing the statewide average of 83 percent.

The increase in cases dismissed or withdrawn by prosecutors has been driving down the conviction rate in Philadelphia. The city’s acquittal rates and been rejected by the district attorney’s office, which covers cases withdrawn after the initial filing, are higher than the state averages. The “nolle pros” dispositions rate has jumped from 7 percent in 2015 to 21 percent in 2020.

In reviewing sentences, Bergstrom’s data refuted some of Krasner’s previous claims of securing longer prison terms.

Krasner’s office has secured a lower rate of  VUFA sentences that fall within the state’s sentencing guidelines (28 percent) than statewide (43 percent). Philadelphia also saw more cases fall below the sentencing guidelines (34 percent) than statewide (25 percent). However, Philadelphia saw 5 percent of cases each at the aggravated and Above levels, each above the statewide levels.

Bergstrom described the pattern as “extreme on both ends.” Philadelphia also has higher recidivism rates for VUFA charges within three years.

Bergstrom noted the laws are not consistently enforced across counties at times. “The use of the laws can be spotty,” he said, referring to one VUFA that wasn’t being charged when available or dropped as part of plea bargains.

“Before we start thinking about changing the law, let’s make sure we use it with fidelity, when possible, and make sure it’s not being negotiated away,” he said.

Greg Rowe, executive director of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, called Krasner’s decision to pull Philadelphia from the organization “unusual.”

“At the time, the DA told the media that our policies that we support were too punitive and too focused on incarceration. We would obviously disagree on that.”

Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia) was pleased with the conduct of the hearing.

“Today was more about the facts. [Bergstrom’s testimony] was very valuable because it provided us intimate details as to the process of the violation of our Uniform Firearms Act,” White said. “What I learned is Philadelphia has three times more gun crime cases that are being withdrawn than anywhere else in the state, and it looks like those types of cases, the offenders, the criminals, are more likely to re-offend.”

The committee has not announced further public hearings.

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Pennsylvania progressives are circling the wagons around one of their own as a bipartisan committee prepares to convene Thursday to consider his impeachment.

The bipartisan state House Select Committee is expected to hear testimony from witnesses regarding the impeachment of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner at the Navy Yard on Thursday and Friday.

The crime data on Krasner’s watch aren’t in dispute. Last year, there were a record 562 homicides in the city, and as of September 26, another 400 people were murdered this year. Both elected officials and city residents have demanded action. Many blame Krasner’s progressive policies — he’s been called “Philly cops’ worst enemy” — for the rising tide of crime.

Committee members have been asked not to comment publicly about the hearings, said David Foster, a spokesperson for the House Republicans. Krasner’s political allies, however, have been outspoken.

The Working Families Party, a left-wing political organization that endorses candidates at the state and local level, announced Friday it is pulling its endorsements from Democrats like state Reps. Danilo Burgos and Nancy Guenst who voted to condemn Krasner for not responding to the House Select Committee’s subpoena.

And the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity joined a group of legislative Democrats last week to rally on behalf of Krasner, despite the fact people of color have disproportionally been victims of violent crime under Krasner.

“This is directly connected to a historical legacy of people trying to take the votes of Black people right out of our hands,” said the Rev. Mark Kelly Taylor, pastor of Mother Bethel A.M.E Church. “If we sit back silently and Larry Krasner is impeached successfully no elected official within the city of Philadelphia is safe in the future.”

Krasner released a statement Monday calling the bipartisan effort “a bad faith, unconstitutional attempt to overturn the 2021 election over my office’s policies of evenly applied and equal accountability for all who criminally cause harm to our communities.”

State Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia) is not on the committee, but she has been very outspoken about crime and Krasner’s record. She laid the blame for the hearings at his feet.

“District Attorney Larry Krasner was given ample opportunity to work with the committee but was found in contempt for not complying with a lawful subpoena,” said White.  “This committee is holding fact-finding hearings in Philadelphia and Mr. Krasner’s efforts to instigate his most radical supporters to disrupt the committee’s hearings will not be tolerated or successful.

“Victims of crime who have suffered due to the actions and inaction of the district attorney will not be silenced any longer,” White said. “Whistleblowers should have every right to come forward. What is Larry Krasner hiding?”

White previously led a group of Philadelphia crime victims to Harrisburg to protest Krasner’s lack of prosecution and to press lawmakers to do something.

In his public statement, Krasner also complained about the hearings being held at the Navy Yard which, he says, are inconvenient for city residents to attend.

A spokeswoman for Krasner did not respond to a request for comment.

Before his re-election in 2021, Krasner spoke to the Delaware Valley Journal, blaming the spiking crime rate on the COVID-19 pandemic. And as for statistics on increased gun charges being filed but fewer defendants convicted, Krasner blamed the circumstances of cases that are not provable “beyond a reasonable doubt,” giving an example of five people in a car with a gun in the trunk.

“You have to look at these on a case-by-case basis,” Krasner said.

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My sources in Harrisburg tell me the Select Committee charged with investigating the possible impeachment of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner is ling up its agenda in an unbiased and precise manner.

And I’ve learned that the very pronounced manner in which the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rebuked Krasner on his vision of the legal use of lethal force by officers in his prosecution of Philadelphia Police Officer Ryan Pownall amplified the charge that Krasner is biased against cops.

Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty, who has deep Philadelphia roots, wrote a special concurrence to the majority opinion and noted that “a special concurrence is unusual. But so is the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office’s prosecution in this case.”  The justice attacked Krasner’s tactics with specific details and concluded Krasner’s work was intended to deprive Pownall of a fair trial.

Even though Krasner doesn’t seem to value impartiality when it comes to the police, I have a plea to make to the Select Committee to ensure transparency and fairness for Krasner’s preliminary impeachment investigation. Hold the impeachment hearings in Philadelphia!

First, Philadelphia is the scene of the carnage that is making national news, and the two Democratic representatives on the committee, Amen Brown of West Philadelphia, and Daniel Burgos of Kensington represent areas particularly hard hit by violence and general lawlessness.

Second, holding hearings in Philadelphia will curtail the Inquirer from making the tired point that these hearings are just political attacks from people with no stake in Philadelphia.

Third, hearings in Philadelphia will allow more witnesses to come forward to talk about the suffering they have experienced due to Krasner perverting the criminal justice system and his oath of office. It would also make it more convenient for Krasner supporters to chronicle their views of his unusual tactics.

Fourth, Philadelphia is the media capital of the state. Hearings here would force them to provide detailed coverage. In other words, Krasner’s media allies due to competition would have to cover it and maybe even show some of the moving testimony of the survivors of crime victims.

Fifth, there is a possibility that Philadelphia hearings might draw protesters that support Krasner and security might be a concern. So, what? Get enough security and support the free expression of Philadelphians.

Sixth, I think the scenario that I’ve set up, would make it much more likely for Krasner to testify. With tremendous media attention and his world-class smugness, Krasner might jump at the chance to tell us exactly what he is doing. If the rest of the state hears some of the highlights of his vision of his oath of office, there might be more understanding of what he has done to Philadelphia and the need for state action to remove him.

Seventh, if the hearings are held here, it raises the issue of public safety and will result in politicians like Philadelphia City Councilpersons Cherelle Parker, Allan Domb, and Helen Gym and supermarket magnate Jeff Brown to state their positions on Krasner and crime as they gear up campaigns for mayoral runs.

Finally, holding the hearings in Philadelphia would put them on the national map as we head to the midterm elections. Inflation and gas prices are the major concerns of most Americans but the issue of their own and their family’s safety is a top-tier concern. Krasner and the other district attorneys supported by George Soros and other progressives are symbolically on the ballot. Based on the recall of the San Francisco district attorney and probable recall of the Los Angeles district attorney, I think people have had enough.

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In recent months, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has claimed he has made repeated calls for enhanced forensic technologies to bolster the city’s police department amid a generational spike in gun crime, homicides, and carjackings.

However, Broad + Liberty filed a Right to Know Law request seeking all the correspondence in the past year Mr. Krasner has communicated those requests, either by email or regular mail.

There are no such documents.

Specifically, Broad + Liberty asked for: “A copy of any correspondence (physical, or email, including any attachments if email) between District Attorney Larry Krasner and any Pennsylvania State Representative, any Pennsylvania State Senator, or any member of the Philadelphia City Council as well as the Mayor, in which criminal forensic technologies are discussed as a subject matter. Please use a date range of Jan. 1, 2021, to and including Jan. 21, 2022.”

“The [district attorney’s office] was unable to locate records responsive to your request,” Krasner’s office said in reply.

As the homicide rate pushed towards an unprecedented annual record of 500 last November, Krasner leaned on this reasoning amid increased scrutiny.

For example, a video report from NBC10 in Philadelphia quoted Krasner saying, “One of the most important solutions to these issues is having a real forensic capacity; for this to be a city where you can take what you have at a crime scene, and you can move the question along quickly.”

The reporter closed by paraphrasing another Krasner assertion that Philadelphia is “decades behind other cities when it comes to forensics, a valuable tool he [Krasner] says could get criminals off the streets at a quicker pace.”

Twice in a newsletter, Krasner repeated his claim that the push for better, newer forensics was a campaign he had labored on for some time.

“In order to turn the tide on the wave of gun violence communities across the country are experiencing, we must stop doing things that have never worked and start innovating, including by relying on forensic science and technology to solve more cases,” he wrote in his November email newsletter, under the subject line “Justice Journal.”

“I will continue to call on city government and our partners in law enforcement to invest the tens of millions of dollars needed for modern technologies that could revolutionize our ability to solve more cases and get more shooters off the streets faster,” he wrote in January.

And in a press conference on January 11th, Krasner told members of the media that “we don’t have the forensics in the city of Philadelphia…it’s part of a bigger topic. You’ve heard me speak of it many times.”

Yet for all those claims, the Philadelphia D.A.’s office cannot produce a single email over a year-long period that shows Krasner advocating for forensic technologies with elected officials who could make such a request happen in reality.

A request for comment to the district attorney’s office to explain where Krasner has explained or described the city’s forensic needs was not returned.

Similarly, Broad + Liberty asked Mayor Kenney’s office if it could voluntarily produce any communications of the kind sought in the original open records request filed with Krasner’s office. The mayor’s office referred us to the district attorney’s office.

This week, Krasner once again reiterated his public calls for forensics technology, this time in the form of a multi-million dollar forensics lab. It remains to be seen whether his office will actually contact elected officials to make such a lab happen in Philadelphia.

This article first appeared in Broad and Liberty.

The death penalty for cop killers. Keep more accused violent felons in jail while they await trial. Let the governor  pick the Philly D.A.

These are some of the ideas to fight crime in Philadelphia GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill McSwain pitched at a Tuesday press conference.

“I know that the law-abiding citizens of this neighborhood and throughout Philadelphia feel helpless right now,” McSwain said. “We go to work, raise our families, follow the law, and pay our taxes – only to see our streets get more dangerous, our businesses get robbed, our communities get vandalized, and our families living in fear from the criminals, drug dealers, and gangs who think they run these streets.

“I have a message for them. We run these streets. The good people, the law-abiding people, of Pennsylvania. And we are going to take them back.”

If elected, McSwain also promised to increase funding for local law enforcement and to “hunt down violent criminals by any means necessary, including the use of the State Police and the National Guard.”

He would create financial incentives to recruit new law enforcement officers and ensure financial security for current law enforcement families by giving them more pay and a secure retirement.

“The governor should have the responsibility to appoint the chief law enforcement officer of the largest – and now, the deadliest – city in our Commonwealth. That is how we will rid the city of (DA) Larry Krasner.”

Krasner’s spokesperson did not respond to a request to comment.

McSwain promised to  “stop rioting, looting, sanctuary cities, heroin injection sites, as well as Joe Biden’s ridiculous plan for crack pipe giveaways.”

During the George Floyd riots in Philadelphia in the summer of 2020, when he was the U.S. Attorney, McSwain enforced the law.

“If you start a riot, if you torch a police car, if you push an old lady to the ground, if you loot a business or burn down a building or blow up a coffee shop or an ATM, guess what? You’re going to jail.”

He detailed the case of Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal, 34, “who proudly threw a Molotov cocktail into a police car in broad daylight right in front of City Hall and people on the far left, people who sure do not want me to be governor, they said this lady was an asset to her community. There were people actually lobbying our office lobbying me lobbying the judge to take it easy on this woman. They didn’t want her to be punished. They called her ‘a dedicated community activist.’ Well, not on my watch.”

Blumenthal, 34, awaits trial.

“Now Larry Krasner and (Attorney General) Josh Shapiro, they wouldn’t have done that,” said McSwain. “They would have given her a medal. As governor, I will demand on a daily basis, that the mayor, the district attorney, the attorney general…do their jobs. And when they don’t I will force them to by using all the power of the governor’s office.”

Ann Marie Muldoon

McSwain spoke at a press conference at Avenue Chiropractic in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia, where owner Ann Marie Muldoon said the neighborhood has changed for the worse since Krasner took office.

As a healthcare professional who knew “throughout this pandemic I could keep my patients safe inside but I could not keep them safe outside,” Muldoon said. “I can disinfect what’s in there but we need somebody to disinfect what’s out here.”

When she was growing up the neighborhood was like “Mayberry” and she is amazed there was a recent carjacking. Now her friends and her mother request that she text them when she gets home every night.

“Every day my patients are packing up and moving to the outskirts of Philadelphia,” said Muldoon. “I’m just going to tell you, it’s not going to stop there. How long can we keep running? If you think it’s not going to reach there in a few years, you’re wrong…Once they evacuate Philadelphia, they will move to the suburbs. There are better cars there.  There are better goods there.”

“Today I stand in front of you as a broken-hearted Philly girl,” she said. “Everybody has one ultimate goal at the end of the day. And that’s to get home to their family safely.”

Patty-Pat Kazlowski came to the press conference to thank McSwain for stopping a drug injection site from coming to her Port Richmond neighborhood.

Former Assistant District Attorney Carlos Vega, Krasner’s opponent in the 2021 primary, also attended the press conference. Asked afterward if he supported McSwain, Vega said that he was just gathering information and is not sure yet who he will support for governor.

The Delaware Valley Journal asked McSwain whether his proposal would take away the judges’ priority to set bail or decide to hold someone without bail.

“We’re seeing the same people commit the same crimes over and over again. The way you stop that is, the first time they’re arrested they stay in prison until they’re tried and they’re convicted and they’re sentenced,” McSwain said, adding: “What I’m saying is we could have bail reform, a legislative reform that would require pretrial detention. You would take that discretion away from judges.”

Another reporter asked about allowing voters in the rest of the state to impose their will on Philadelphia residents by voting for a constitutional amendment to allow the governor to appoint the Philadelphia DA.

“I think the vast majority of Philadelphians are very upset at the public safety crisis they’re going through right now,” said McSwain, noting that Krasner was elected “by a very small slice of the electorate. About 15 percent of the city approved of Krasner, 85 percent don’t approve.”

Asked about legislation to give the attorney general concurrent jurisdiction in Philadelphia, McSwain said that Shapiro had ignored it when it was previously the law.

“I have no reason to believe he is going to do anything with it now,” said McSwain. “That is him choosing his own political career over protecting the law-abiding citizens of Philadelphia because he doesn’t want to get cross-wise with the radical left of his party.”

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Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, a Republican candidate for governor, continued to make the case that Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner should be impeached, taking his quest into Krasner’s backyard with a Philadelphia press conference with the police.

Corman was joined by Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5 President John McNesby, Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police Vice President Roosevelt Poplar, and Pennsylvania State Troopers Association President David Kennedy.

Philadelphia set an all-time record for homicides last year with more than 550 people killed in the city. It is on pace to surpass that in 2022, said Corman in a press release. Although police made the highest number of arrests last year for violent gun crimes since 2015, more violent gun cases were dismissed every year Larry Krasner has been in office. Since 2015, just 21 percent of shootings in the city have led to criminal charges. In January 2022 alone, there were 100 carjackings in the city.

“Philadelphians are experiencing an unprecedented crisis of violence. It was surprising to hear District Attorney Krasner finally admit as much last week,” Corman said. “Krasner sits in his corner office working on his book or planning his next reality show. He’s never taken responsibility for the failure of his social policies that have led directly to the deaths of hundreds of Philadelphians and devastated their families. That’s why it’s time to impeach Larry Krasner.

“I want to thank law enforcement leaders for joining me in this important effort,” Corman added. “Our police have been working tirelessly to protect their fellow citizens. We have laws on the books to put the bad guys away. It’s clear Larry Krasner won’t use them, so it’s time to remove him so we can get back to making Philadelphia a safe city again.”

Corman, of Bellefonte, is one of a crowded field of Republican hopefuls trying to gain the GOP primary voters’ nod.

Krasner’s spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. However, previously, a spokesman called Corman’s call for impeachment and removal of the district attorney “a stunt.”

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When the news broke last week that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring from the Supreme Court, I reminded my radio listeners that the progressive group Demand Justice had Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner on their shortlist of people they would like to see on the Supreme Court.

For the record, I wholly support the nomination of Krasner because he would be rejected, and the spectacle of his testimony would help to get him impeached from his current office and further shine a light on all the current George Soros-supported district attorneys that are enabling an out-of-control crime surge.

The impeachment of Krasner has been a centerpiece of my thinking since Pennsylvania Senate President Jake Corman broke the news on my show that he wrote an open letter to the Republican leaders in the state House of Representatives calling upon them to start the impeachment process against Krasner for his refusal to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

That announcement has triggered tremendous support from my listeners, but a number of tense interviews with Republican elected officials who are dreaming up all kinds of reasons why they won’t proceed with holding Krasner accountable. People like State Sen. Doug Mastriano, who is also a candidate for governor. He went on Newsmax to say it would be wrong to try to impeach Krasner because Krasner recently won re-election with 70 percent of the vote in Philadelphia.

Well, Alvin Bragg, the recently-elected district attorney of Manhattan who won 83 percent of the vote, was confronted in a public meeting by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Word was leaked from the meeting that Hochul would remove Bragg from office if he continued his promise to not prosecute or fully prosecute violent crimes. Therefore, since we have no impeachment process in Philadelphia, we need state officials to hold Krasner accountable.

Republicans have also told me they have given Attorney General Josh Shapiro concurrent power to Krasner to prosecute crimes that Krasner will not prosecute. I believe that is an attempt to damage Shapiro’s run for governor. They have to know Shapiro has not challenged Krasner yet and will continue to dodge using this power.

Republican leaders have also told me Corman and the state Senate already have the power to remove Krasner from office, and they don’t want any proceedings to start in the House of Representatives. I think they are wrong. In order for any impeachment proceedings to not be perceived as wholly political, it is important that Krasner be given every chance to defend himself by receiving full hearings in the House, followed by an impeachment vote in the House, followed by a trial in the Senate.

The last argument I’ve heard by elected officials on my show is that no Democrat in the Senate would vote to impeach, giving the body the necessary two-thirds of votes needed to remove Krasner from office. First, Corman told me last week he had been approached by two Philadelphia Democrat House members who said if articles of impeachment are presented, they would vote to impeach Krasner. Corman also noted several relatively moderate Democrat senators would be under pressure from their constituents to vote to remove Krasner if he testified and his record was fully publicized across the state.

I’m convinced that within the next few weeks, articles of impeachment against Krasner will be offered in the House of Representatives. When that happens, it will be time to force Krasner to explain how his non-enforcement of the law and the resulting carnage in Philadelphia is not impeachable.

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