Pennsylvania — Prosecutors — Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

Pennsylvania's Top Cop Says He Supports Criminal Justice Reform. His Record Suggests Otherwise.

“During his campaign, Shapiro espoused progressive ideals like standing up to Wall Street and protecting the rights of the LGBTQ community; he has frequently cast himself as a bulwark against President Trump. But since then, critics say, he has embraced a tough-on-crime image that contrasts sharply with the progressive politics of Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner, the state’s most prominent prosecutor. Shapiro is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, they note, an organization that accused Krasner of having ‘great disdain for law enforcement.’“

The Appeal

August 2, 2019

State Reforms, ProsecutorsPhillip ReevesAugust 2, 2019The Appeal, PennsylvaniaComment

Pennsylvania Democrats Had a Change to Reject Law Limiting Philly DA's Authority

“On July 2, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed into law a bill that includes a controversial provision to strip progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner of some prosecuting power over gun cases in the city. The measure, passed in late June by the Republican-led state legislature, gives state Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s office the ability to prosecute cases involving the illegal possession and illegal sale of firearms in the city—without first conferring with Krasner.“

The Appeal

July 25, 2019

ProsecutorsPhillip ReevesJuly 25, 2019The Appeal, Pennsylvania, Larry Krasner, PhiladelphiaComment

Death penalty has fallen out of favor with Pennsylvania prosecutors

“In 2004, 40 percent of murder convictions in Pennsylvania started as death-penalty cases, according to a review of state data by The Morning Call. By 2017, that number had dropped more than threefold, to 12 percent of murder convictions, the lowest rate in 14 years.“

The Morning Call

March 3, 2019

Death PenaltyPhillip ReevesMarch 3, 2019The Morning Call, Pennsylvania, Death PenaltyComment

Opinion: PA’s new sentencing algorithm is a weapon of mass incarceration

“If we divest decision-making to an algorithm that ignores our capacity to change, then we will enter a new, frightening stage of mass incarceration. If the tool is trained to find risk, it will most certainly find it, and weaponize it to incarcerate us, rather than send us home to make amends, and to heal our families and communities.“

Billy Penn

December 11, 2018

SentencingPhillip ReevesDecember 11, 2018Billy Penn, PennsylvaniaComment

In Pennsylvania, Defendants Pay a Fee Just to Plead Guilty

"As is the case with most criminal court fees, Pennsylvania’s plea fee is disproportionately leveled against poor people. In 2015, more than $900,000 in plea fees were imposed in York County, according to a review of all criminal dockets by The Appeal. More than $570,000—or roughly 60 percent—of those fees were charged to people who were represented by a public defender."

The Appeal

August 29, 2018

Prosecutors, SentencingAnthony BradleySeptember 4, 2018The Appeal, Pennsylvania

What’s Philly’s DA Got to Do With Me?

"Krasner, who took office in January, styles himself a progressive, but his objectives dovetail closely with those of conservative and libertarian justice reformers. All share a broader vision of radically reshaping a criminal justice system that is deeply unjust and out of line with American constitutional and moral values."

The American Conservative

July 30, 2018

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