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Krasner, who first took office in 2018, won reelection by a landslide last year. He is not accused of violating any laws and denies that his efforts led to the sharp increase of violent crime in Philadelphia. He came to power amid nationwide concerns about racist policing and mass incarceration and has embraced polices such as reducing prison sentences and taking a public health approach to drug addiction. Under Krasner, Philadelphia prosecutors have enabled at least 10 people who were wrongly convicted of murder to be released from incarceration.
However, crime rates in Philadelphia remain a concern for voters. At least 459 homicides have been recorded in the city this year, with an additional 1,669 nonfatal shooting victims, according to Philadelphia’s Office of the Controller. Last year, a record 562 homicides were recorded — a 13 percent increase from 2020. It is difficult to assess whether there has been an increase in national violent-crime rates recently, The Washington Post has reported, though a number of Republican politicians ran in the November elections with tough-on-crime pledges.
Krasner has been closely scrutinized by lawmakers for months. In October, a state House committee issued an report that accused Krasner of purging longtime prosecutors as well as failing to convict people in cases related to illegal firearm possession.
“Every decision I make as District Attorney is with the goal of seeking justice and improving public safety,” Krasner said in a statement after the report’s release. “Public safety has always been my primary goal, and I have never deviated from more intensely focusing on the most serious and violent offenses.”
The impeachment resolution was introduced in the House last month. “While incidents of violent crime are increasing, prosecution of crime by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has decreased during this same period,” lawmakers wrote.
Krasner said in a Wednesday statement that he was impeached without lawmakers “presenting a single shred of evidence connecting our policies to any uptick in crime.”
“In the hundreds of years the Commonwealth has existed, this is the only time the House has used the drastic remedy of impeachment of an elected official because they do not like their ideas,” he said. “… History will harshly judge this anti-democratic authoritarian effort to erase Philly’s votes — votes by Black, brown, and broke people in Philadelphia.”
House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton pointed to two state officials who were previously removed through the impeachment process in
arguing that Republicans had gone too far: “This is not 1994, where we have a Supreme Court justice who is caught trying to get drugs illegally. This is not 1811, where we have a county judge who has been accused of injudicious conduct. But once again, the majority caucus is very familiar with wanting to overturn the will of an electorate.”
Republicans portrayed the impeachment as an effort to prevent arbitrary enforcement of laws. “Tomorrow, he may decide not to enforce the laws on assault, or the laws on illegal gun possession. But then again, tomorrow has already arrived,” said state Rep. Tim Bonner.
