A top Republican Pennsylvania lawmaker is seeking to impeach the district attorney of Philadelphia over rising crime levels.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman wrote a letter Tuesday to Republican leaders of the state House of Representatives requesting they begin impeachment proceedings against District Attorney Larry Krasner for what Corman said was a failure to prosecute criminals.
“The recent spike in violent crime is a direct result of DA Krasner’s failed policies and his refusal to perform the duties of his office to hold criminals accountable for the crimes that they commit,” Corman wrote in the letter addressed to House Speaker Bryan Cutler, Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rob Kauffman.
PHILLY’S POLICE, THE 18TH DISTRICT, AND THE TOUGHEST JOB IN AMERICA
“His decision to allow more and more criminals to walk free through plea deals and dismissed charges has created an environment in which Philadelphians are no longer safe in their own homes and communities,” Corman said.
Corman cited an article by the Philadelphia Citizen that said since taking office, Krasner has dismissed or withdrawn more violent or gun-related cases with each passing year, according to data from the district attorney’s public dashboard. This came even as the Philadelphia Police Department has made more gun arrests than at any other time since 2015.
It is unusual but not shocking, tragic but not unexpected that I would be here speaking on behalf of my own family on gun violence. pic.twitter.com/mkyhXSeiED
— Senator Sharif Street (@SenSharifStreet) July 6, 2021
“Our own colleagues in the General Assembly are not immune to this epidemic of violence,” Corman wrote. State Sen. Sharif Street and state Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, both Democrats, were used as examples of having experienced and seen the results of rising violence.
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“As elected officials of this Commonwealth, we cannot turn a blind eye to DA Krasner’s clear dereliction of duty,” Corman wrote. He called for “meaningful action” to help families and communities feel safe.
Crime levels have been on the rise in Philadelphia, which reached 550 homicides by the end of 2021. However, Krasner told reporters in early January that the city was not experiencing a “crisis of lawlessness,” saying, “We don’t have a crisis of crime — we don’t have a crisis of violence.”
Krasner later issued a statement apologizing for his “inarticulate” remarks but also accused the media of twisting his words. “The message conveyed through media sound bites is not at all what I meant,” he said.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Krasner’s office and to Corman for a statement but did not receive a response.
