News

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This Lawyer Defends Philly’s Progressive Activists—Can He Become DA?

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THE NATION

Ending mass incarceration begins at home, says Larry Krasner, a longtime civil rights attorney and leading candidate for Philadelphia District Attorney. Harsh sentencing laws passed by Congress and state legislatures set the stage for mass incarceration, and police make arrests on the streets. But it is prosecutors who decide who to charge, what to charge them with, and, in a system that often resolves cases with guilty pleas, what sentences to seek.

“The truth is that the most important thing that a district attorney can do is exercise that 700-pound hammer that is discretion,” says Krasner, who announced his candidacy surrounded by a crowd of activists that included many former clients. “As Nancy Reagan would say, ‘just say no.’”

He’s right.

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After a Career Suing Cops, This Lawyer Wants to Be Philly's Next District Attorney

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MOTHER JONES

Civil rights attorney Larry Krasner has spent his career standing up to cops. A former public defender who's no stranger to pro bono work, he's defended Black Lives Matter protesters, ACT UP alums, the Arch Street United Methodist Church pastors, Grannies for Peace, and Occupy Philly activists.

So he hardly seems like someone who'd want to assume the mantle of one of America's top prosecutor jobs—for one thing, Krasner has no formal political experience. But as he watched the usual suspects throwing their hats in the ring for Philadelphia's 2017 district attorney's race, the 56-year-old felt like it was time to try and change things from within.

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Philly DA's race: Krasner pulling away?

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WHYY NEWSWORKS

Civil rights attorney Larry Krasner has picked up two more endorsements in his campaign to replace the indicted Seth Williams as Philadelphia's next district attorney. Add that to the $1.4 million independent advertising and field campaign showered on him by billionaire George Soros — and Krasner is looking more like the one to beat in Tuesday's Democratic primary.

Krasner got the backing of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity and state Sen. Vincent Hughes of West Philadelphia Thursday.

Those two endorsements, following the support he's received from influential Northwest Philadelphia Democrats two weeks ago, make it easy to overlook the nod he got Wednesday from a construction union, the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters.

Hughes said he looked the seven candidate field over and made his pick.

"It's not a knock on anyone else," Hughes said. "Thirty years of fighting for civil rights cannot be ignored. You can't just kick that to the curb."

Northwest Coalition backs Krasner for DA

THE PHILADELPHIA TRIBUNE

Philadelphia District Attorney candidate Larry Krasner secured the endorsement of members of the influential group of elected officials, including former City Councilwoman Marian Tasco, on Monday.

The endorsement for Krasner follows news last week on the receipt of nearly $300,000 in advertisement funding for Krasner from billionaire investor George Soros.

Krasner has already received progressive endorsements from local unions including AFSCME District 1199C which represents hospital and health care employees, local social justice organizations like 215 People’s Alliance and national organizations including MoveOn.org.

However the support from Tasco, state Rep. Isabella Fitzgerald, 10th ward leader and Elaine Tomlin, 42nd ward leader — members of what’s known as the Northwest Coalition — could be the crossover civil rights attorney Krasner needs to reach a substantial bit of Philadelphia’s historic voter population.

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Krasner picks up key ward leaders and more PAC support for DA

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THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

Could the May 16 Democratic primary election for district attorney resemble the party’s primary for mayor two years ago?

Larry Krasner, a civil rights lawyer, picked up the much-sought-after endorsements Monday of several ward leaders and elected officials from “the Northwest Coalition,” known for their reliability in turning out voters on Election Day.

Chief among them is former City Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco, who helped propel Mayor Kenney to office when the coalition -- which represents predominantly African American neighborhoods -- backed him in the 2015 six-candidate primary.

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This Is What the Fight Against Trumpism Looks Like

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 Dispatches from the Urban Resistance, April edition.

BY JIMMY TOBIAS – THE NATION

 ... while you’re perusing the electoral scene, pay attention to Philadelphia too, where Larry Krasner, a long-time civil rights attorney and first amendment defender, is shaking up a seven-person Democratic primary to be the city’s next top prosecutor. If he wins, Krasner has said he will stop imprisoning people who can’t pay bail, effectively abolish the death penalty, maintain Philadelphia’s sanctuary city commitments, and prohibit prosecutions based on “illegal stop and frisk” tactics. The bespectacled progressive has been endorsed by national organizations like Our Revolution, Color of Change, and Democracy for America. The primary will take place on May 16.

Full story in THE NATION

Democratic candidates for Philly DA discuss police shootings and stop and frisk

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

The seven Democrats seeking to become Philadelphia’s next district attorney spent Thursday evening talking about regulating and prosecuting the city’s police officers. Three of them, speaking in a forum aired live on WHYY-FM and WURD 900-AM and cosponsored by the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP, were asked if they would prosecute cops for illegal on-duty shootings.

Civil rights lawyer Larry Krasner, who has spent decades filing lawsuits against the city in police misconduct cases, said too many prosecutors are “too cozy” and too politically ambitious to pursue those cases. Krasner vowed to do just that. “I agree there are a ton of great cops in this city,” Krasner said. “And you know what they hate? They hate bad cops.”

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Meet the Civil Rights Lawyer Shaking Up the Race for Philadelphia District Attorney

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REASON

Larry Krasner, a long-time Philadelphia civil rights and criminal defense attorney, isn't your usual candidate for district attorney, but then, the race to be the city's top prosecutor has been anything but usual.

It started when Philadelphia D.A. Seth Williams—under the grim cloud of a federal corruption investigation—announced in February he wouldn't seek reelection. Since then, the sudden race to replace him has taken a remarkably reform-minded turn.

Larry Krasner picks up national progressive support in Philly DA’s race

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

On Friday, Democracy For America endorsed Larry Krasner in the Philadelphia district attorney’s race, the third national progressive organization to back the civil rights attorney this week. The nod to Krasner comes as part of the Democracy for America’s $500,000 commitment for progressive candidates in municipal elections this election cycle. The million-member organization joins Krasner’s growing list of national endorsements, following on the heels of the Bernie Sanders-inspired group Our Revolution and national civil rights advocacy group Color for Change.

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