My PhillyDaily.com Crime Beat Column: My Q&A With Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner

PhillyDaily.com ran my weekly Crime Beat column today:

You can read the column via the below link, or the below text:

Davis: My Q&A with Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner - Philly Daily

Having interviewed Judge Patrick Dugan, a candidate for Philadelphia District Attorney against incumbent DA Larry Krasner in next month’s election, as well as having interviewed Frank Scales, a 22-year-old vocal opponent of Krasner, I thought that in the interest of fairness I would reach out and interview Larry Krasner as well.

Like the old Fox News motto: We report. You decide. 

Larry S. Krasner was sworn in for a second term as Philadelphia’s 26th District Attorney on January 2, 2022.  

“Throughout his 34-year career, Mr. Krasner has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to social justice, stepping up at numerous times in the past to offer his services for free to defend protesters involved with movements like ACT UP, Black Lives Matter, progressive clergy with POWER, Casino-Free Philadelphia, DACA Dreamers, Decarcerate PA, anti-gun clergy with Heeding God’s Call, anti-poverty and homelessness advocates with Kensington Welfare Rights Union, Occupy Philly and Reclaim Philadelphia, Grannies for Peace, and many others,” reads his biography on the District Attorney’s Office website.

“Early in his career, Mr. Krasner was a federal public defender before going into private practice as a civil rights and criminal defense attorney. In his last job before being elected, Mr. Krasner served as of-counsel at the law firm of Greenblatt, Pierce, Funt, and Flores. Mr. Krasner was born in 1961 in St. Louis, the son of a World War II veteran and author father and evangelist mother. He attended public school in the St. Louis and Philadelphia areas and earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago in 1983 and his law degree from Stanford in 1987.  

“He’s lived in Philadelphia for more than three decades with his wife of over 30 years, retired Court of Common Pleas Judge Lisa M. Rau. They have two adult sons.”  

You can read the Q&A below:  

Davis: Why do you believe that Philadelphia voters should re-elect you next month? What has the DA office under you accomplished in the past four years? 

Krasner: Because Philadelphians are safer and freer than they have been in decades. In a criminal justice system, they trust because it has integrity.  

Davis: What will you do in the next four years if you are re-elected? What are your policies and priorities?  

Krasner: We will continue to keep our oath to seek justice. Uphold the Constitutions and laws by preserving what supports that oath and by reforming what needs to change.     

Davis: Why do you believe you are more qualified than Judge Pat Dugan? 

Krasner: I believe Judge Dugan has never tried a felony criminal case as a judge, a defense attorney or a prosecutor. Instead of achievements and experience, he has relied on his political connections and insider status to get where he is. I have personally tried and supervised the trials of thousands of felony cases. Retired Judge Dugan’s history clearly shows that he will say almost anything and do almost anything to advance himself, regardless of right or wrong, in my opinion.

Unfortunately, his flip from Democrat to Republican (after his campaign denied he would), and his bogus verdict in the criminal case against Police Officer Josey, make this clear. A chief prosecutor’s job is incompatible with dishonesty.      

Davis: How do you respond to your critics who have stated that you appear to be running against President Trump rather than Judge Dugan. You have also stated that DA now stands for Democracy Advocate rather than District Attorney. What do you mean by that? 

Krasner: I have always said D.A. means district attorney and democracy advocate since Donald Trump began trying to end democracy. Because my oath is to uphold the U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions and laws, my oath includes necessarily being a democracy advocate in these times.    

Davis: How do you respond to your critics who say that you do not properly prosecute the city’s criminal offenders — from possessing illegal guns to shoplifters — and that you appear to be more concerned with releasing prisoners from prison than with putting offenders in prison?

Krasner: Which part don’t they like — the safety or the freedom? The numbers speak for themselves.

Davis: How do you respond to your critics who believe you have a vendetta against police officers, having sued the Philadelphia Police Department numerous times prior to becoming the district attorney. 

Krasner: Again, which part don’t they like — all the officers we have cleared of criminal charges because they committed no crimes, or the few we have successfully prosecuted because we and judges and juries correctly found these officers committed crimes beyond a reasonable doubt?     

Davis: Are you interested in higher office after your term as DA?

Krasner: Not at this time. Supporters ask me this a lot: I love being District Attorney of the greatest city in the United States of America. 

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here weekly, He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com.