The debate of the candidate for the District Prosecutor turned into an hour’s interrogation of the current Larry Krasner after President Patrick Dugan refused to participate in the event on Tuesday evening.
Dugan’s decision, in order not to participate, may mean that they will not face the official debate before May 20 Basic democratic. Without a republicanie run, the main will effectively decide on the winner in Elections in November The most essential prosecutor in Philadelphia for the next four years.
While two candidates answered questions and exchanged spikes in Number of forums similar to the debate Over the past month, it was expected that the event on Tuesday evening would be the only formal debate of the race.
Like many candidates for the first time, who want to boost the recognition of the name and leave well -established sought, Dugan called for many debates, including at least one live broadcast on network television. Krasner refused, saying that he would take part only in the Tuesday event in Whyy’s Studios in the Old Town. The audience could participate in person, and the event was broadcast live on YouTube and Facebook.
“If Larry agrees only to one debate against Judge Dugan, it must be on television television on the web, which is customary to races in the whole city in previous elections to reach the most possible voters from Philadelphia,” said Dugan’s campaign on Tuesday afternoon.
Krasner’s campaign he described Dugan’s complaints About the schedule of the debate as “fooling around the lost campaign with a failed message”, and the event organizers expressed disappointment by the decision of a retired court judge to withdraw.
“Why Ay and his partners worked to make this event fair, impartial and focused completely on public service,” said Torae spokesman Harris. “Both candidates received an equal chance to share their vision of the future of Philadelphia. Choosing not participating refuses to recognize voters a chance to recognize from all candidates in an environment aimed at raising more than politics.”
The debate was co -financed by Whyy News, the seventy committee and Philadelphia Bar Association.
Defense of “mercy” towards retail thieves
Despite the absence of Dugan, over 70 people in the audience, as well as internet viewers heard how Krasner turned to many of the same critics that his contender leveled at him in previous forums.
Moderators were Cherri Gregg, co -host of Whyy’s “Studio 2” Program I Whyy News Reporter Carmen Russell-Sluchansky. They asked the Krasner about problems with a balmy button, such as the persistently high rates of retail, his relations with police leaders, how accused criminal are chosen Direction programs which allow them to avoid prison sentences, as well as prosecution by police officers and former prosecutors accused misconduct.
Krasner noticed that the crime has fallen generally, z Murder indicator At the 50-year lowest level and that although retail thefts are still high, this year they fell by 8% compared to the data of the Police Department.
He defended his policy of issuing “Mercy” 80% of the accused of retail theft, who, as he said, have no previous records, and trying to support repeat criminals.
Politics “goes very vigorously after fertile retail thieves, while recognizing, if you simply put them in prison for a year or two, but you do not deal with the basic problems of mental health, you do not cope with the basic basis addictionYou can’t cope with the base povertyThey will do these few years and come out and do it again – said Krasner.
When it comes to organized, professional thieves, “they just have no mercy,” he said.
When Gregg asked about the blocking of the drugstore goods and Closing the store Krasner said partly for raging theft, said that some pharmaceutical chains were shrinking because they opened too many stores and were sued for irresponsible issuing of opioids.
Mixed feelings towards the Court of Wellness
Russell-Sluchansky asked about the belief that the vigorous racing of Krasner in the wrong police proceedings harmed cooperation with the police and the town hall and hindered the Police Department in Philadelphia Recruitment and detention of officers.
Krasner replied that he got along “very well” Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel – “He and I often talk, they often meet, often meet,” said Da – and praised the brotherly order of police president Roosevelt Poplar, whose predecessor John Mcnesby was a fierce critic and antagonist of Krasner earlier in his term.
“I do not accept the narrative that I do not get along with the police when I get along so well with both the commissioner and the head of Fop,” said Krasner.
He also said he likes Mayor of Cherielle Parker Personally and thinks that “he is very trying to do good things in this city.”
The comment on Parker was part of the answer to the question about the modern city Biological renewal courtA key element of the mayor’s greater effort to suppress Kensington’s fresh air drug and improve the area.
The court aims to quickly introduce homeless drug users into treatment, but has been criticized for a potential violation of the accused and so far support only a few people.
Krasner said that the court “has evolved in a more positive direction” since he was announced, but called city officials to consult legal and medical experts and learning from similar programs that were effective in other cities.
“We must be taken into account, like the judiciary, like the public defender office, like the medical profession-which have deep specialist knowledge to the extent, which means that he has one level bed compared to the bed at the level of four levels,” he said, referring to the options for the care available to addicts. “These details matter.”
Argument for diversion programs
Moderators asked a series of questions about the redirect programs and how the prosecutor’s office makes decisions about prosecution of the accused, including newborn criminals who may be prosecuted as adults.
Krasner said that his lawyers are trying to solve more cases through the system of juvenile courts, which offers a number of rehabilitation services, but state law requires the resolution of some grave crimes in court for adults, and the judges decide where they end.
He said that the leaders of the District Prosecutor’s Office recently pressed the lawyers of the Office of Politics for the Court’s preference for minors and trying to perform newborn accused unnecessarily.
“I never want to be in a situation where we have a young person who pleads guilty … for something they didn’t do to come back [into juvenile court]”Said Krasner.” I always want them to have a day in the court in which it is possible. “
The “drastically extended redirection” press office in court for minors and has created a modern rising unit for adults, which aims to support criminals aged 18 to 25, who, like teenagers, are still “evolving mentally,” said Krasner.
After saying, you should take into account various factors when making decisions, who to direct and who to prosecute traditionally, for example, whether the perpetrator has problems with addiction, unscathed deep trauma, earlier records, intellectual deficits or other issues, said Krasner. “This is extremely specific to every case,” he said.
In a broader issue of the redirect programs, Krasner defended her policy of departing from the more arduous positions of previous district prosecutors in prosecution of arrested persons for illegal possession of weapons and other crimes, saying that the data showed that these earlier policies did not lead to a smaller crime.
In one program of redirecting people who were arrested for the illegal possession of weapons, but “they did not seem to be criminals,” said Krasner, the participants “were much less inclined to arrest again than an equivalent group of people who were convicted. The intercourse was from 1 to 4.”
“I do not want to see more crimes. But I do not think that the system should be a cult of punishment. If you can make a safer society, causing people’s responsibility and forcing them to work after they have a weapon illegally, that’s what you should do, because ultimately it is not primarily about a person with a pistol. The point is that society is secure.
Krasner also discussed a number of other problems, including Fighting with the Trump administrationPhiladelphia’s Sanctuary city Policy, spokeswoman Prison conditions and the future of the progressive movement of the District Prosecutor.
To display the full debate, watch the built -in movie above or check the recording Dlaka for Facebook.
