Judge Refers Philadelphia DA Krasner for Criminal Probe
Judge Refers Philadelphia DA Krasner for Criminal Probe
The News
A federal judge referred Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to federal prosecutors Tuesday, saying he believed the elected DA may have committed crimes in his handling of a post-conviction case.
U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond said he believed Krasner and one of his top supervisors, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Stiegler, may have committed perjury, conspiracy or obstruction of justice, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Diamond also disqualified both men from any further participation in the case and sent the matter to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
What Diamond Cited
The referral grows out of the handling of a post-conviction case at the center of an exoneration controversy that has roiled Krasner's office. Diamond's order accuses the two prosecutors of giving the court false information.
Timeline
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Krasner's office has filed a 47-page court filing in the exoneration dispute, a document the paper describes as the work of a district attorney unbowed by the controversy. Krasner himself has said nothing publicly about it.
Diamond disqualifies Krasner and Stiegler from the case and refers both to federal prosecutors for criminal investigation, saying he believes they may have committed perjury, conspiracy or obstruction of justice.
Reactions
Krasner has not commented publicly on the exoneration controversy, according to the Inquirer, which noted that his position has been laid out only in his office's own court filing.
Conservative outlets seized on the referral within hours. The Gateway Pundit called it a "stunning move" against a "Soros DA," a reference to the outside money that has backed Krasner's campaigns.
The Washington Examiner reported the disqualification of both prosecutors as the immediate practical effect of Diamond's order.
What's Next
The decision now sits with the U.S. Attorney's Office, which is not bound by a judge's referral and must decide whether to open a criminal investigation of a sitting elected prosecutor.
In the underlying case, Krasner and Stiegler are barred from taking part, so the district attorney's office will have to hand it to other lawyers.
Krasner, who has faced repeated clashes with judges, state lawmakers and federal officials, has not said whether he will challenge Diamond's order.
Poll
Should federal prosecutors open a criminal investigation into Larry Krasner?
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