Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner was impeached with a 107 to 85 vote in November in a party-line vote.  His impeachment trial is scheduled to start on January 18 in Harrisburg.

The Pennsylvania state House resolution claims the impeachment for “misbehavior in office” because of Krasner's “focus on issues that promote” his “progressive philosophies rather than how to effectively prosecute a criminal case.”

“In reality, the policies and practices of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office instituted under the direction of District Attorney Krasner have led to catastrophic consequences for the people of the City of Philadelphia,” the resolution continues.

The impeachment trial will take place in the Pennsylvania Senate and will be the first in nearly 30 years. 

Skyrocketing crime results in the impeachment trial 

The City of Brotherly Love experienced a record-setting 561 homicides in 2021. According to the Philadelphia city’s controller’s interactive crime mapping app, there have been 1,785 nonfatal and 463 fatal shooting victims as of Dec 21, 2022. And armed robberies were up 59% and commercial burglaries increased by nearly 50%.

It is alleged that Krasner has failed to prosecute minor crimes and encourages soft-on-crime bail policies leaving dangerous criminals free to commit more crimes. He is also accused of obstructing the House’s investigation into the prosecutor's office.

Former prosecutor, Representative Tim Bonner warns that “anarchy and violence will prevail” if elected leaders ignore the laws.

“No one individual has the right to set aside the laws of Congress or the General Assembly because they simply do not like the law. No one has that degree of absolute power,” Bonner said.

“Abuse of power by an elected official in the office is the corruption of power and constitutes misbehavior in office.”

State Rep. Martina White, also a prime sponsor of the impeachment, said that “no public official is above accountability.”

“This man has denied that there is even a crisis of crime happening on our streets,” White said of the Democratic DA.

Krasner fights back

The Philadelphia District Attorney launched a public campaign against what he says is an illegal and politically motivated impeachment.

Krasner, a Democrat, claims the Republican-led effort to impeach and remove him from office is improper. He issued a formal response. And also filed suit in Commonwealth Court challenging the charges.

District Attorney Krasner in a series of press interviews this summer claimed violent crime was worse in “Trump states.” And denies his soft-on-crime policies were to blame for his city’s historically high crime rate. He is on record as saying that “Republicans lie...that’s what they do.’

The trial is expected to begin in Harrisburg on Jan. 18. A conviction and removal from office require a two-thirds vote on any of the seven articles filed against him.

Republicans currently only hold 28 of 49 seats. They will be five votes shy of enough votes to remove Krasner.

Meanwhile, voters in San Francisco recalled District Attorney Chesa Boudin this summer. And Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón survived a second impeachment effort in February when organizers could not get it onto the ballot.