The case for impeaching Krasner

Black lives do matter — on that we can all agree. That’s why it’s imperative our state politicians take seriously the recently introduced articles of impeachment to remove Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner from office.

Under Krasner, Black lives are being lost at an alarming pace: 80% of 2021 homicide victims in Philadelphia were Black. Black men between the ages of 18 to 34 were the most affected, accounting for 280 homicides. Children’s lives matter, too. Forty-one children were murdered in Philadelphia in 2021 alone. Every citizen has the right to safety — this should not have to be argued on the basis of race or age.

But when it comes to Krasner, identity politics always matter because of his unilateral decision to reform what he considers a systemically racist judicial system by deliberately not prosecuting certain crimes.

The result? Black men are paying with their lives for Krasner’s progressive white savior complex.

Murders have been on the rise each year of Krasner’s tenure. Yet since taking office in 2018, Philadelphia has seen drastic declines in conviction rates for serious crimes, including fatal shootings, armed robberies, aggravated assault, and illegal gun possession. Between 2015 and 2021, only 21% of the nearly 9,000 shootings in the city led to criminal charges; fewer than one-tenth of those charges resulted in convictions.

» READ MORE: Three Pa. House Republicans say they’ll try to impeach Philly DA Larry Krasner

Why focus on Krasner? He has been brazen and unapologetic about failing to prosecute crime even as the number of shootings in the city soars. Former staffers who once agreed with his approach now call him out for advancing indoctrination over justice.

In the Pennsylvania Constitution, state lawmakers can impeach officeholders who have either committed an “infamous crime” or for any misbehavior. Krasner’s inaction does not meet the infamous crime threshold. But what about the “misbehavior” clause? A 1965 Pennsylvania court case defined it as “the breach of a positive statutory duty or the performance by a public official of a discretionary act with an improper or corrupt motive.” Krasner’s dereliction of duty and stated motive meet the definition.

Impeachment is rightly a difficult and lengthy process. The Pennsylvania Constitution gives the state House of Representatives powers to pass articles of impeachment. If successful, the state Senate holds a trial where a two-thirds majority is required to impeach — a threshold that requires bipartisan support.

» READ MORE: What happens when a city’s chief prosecutor refuses to prosecute?

Krasner has been called a “stain on the criminal justice reform movement” by other members of his office. Impeaching him will also ensure we don’t jeopardize the true bipartisan criminal justice reform that we’ve seen succeed in Pennsylvania. We can decriminalize and reduce sentences for nonviolent offenses, lower incarceration rates, and increase public safety — but not when the district attorney won’t enforce the law. Too much is at stake to let one man diminish more than a decade of progress.

Unfortunately, Philadelphia is not unique. In the past decade, George Soros spent over $40 million to elect progressive prosecutors in cities across America. In the 2017 election, Soros-funded groups contributed 90% of Krasner’s campaign funds. Today these Soros-backed district attorneys are being chased out of office. San Francisco’s violent crime got so bad that the progressive city recently voted to recall Chesa Boudin. Now George Gascón, the Los Angeles district attorney, is facing his own recall election. Impeachment sets a precedent that should not be taken lightly, but there is no recall mechanism in our city or commonwealth, so state lawmakers must act.

A Krasner impeachment will definitively show we are a state and nation of laws. If our officeholders fail to honor that, we will never be safe or free.

Jennifer Stefano is the executive vice president of the Commonwealth Foundation and a fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum. @jenniferstefano