Larry Krasner

Larry Krasner has been a civil rights attorney for decades, with a reputation for standing up to police unions and defending protesters and other activists engaging in civil disobedience. After multiple offers of employment in prosecutors' and public defenders' offices throughout the country, he worked as a public defender in Philadelphia (which was considered the best defender office in the country at that time) and was then promoted to the Federal Public Defender's Office in Philadelphia.

In 1993 Larry started his own private practice, specializing in criminal defense and police brutality matters. On the day he announced his candidacy, a horde of activists, including public-school moms, Black Lives Matter protesters and Occupy Philadelphia alumni, gathered behind him to support his candidacy.

He is campaigning on the following platform:

1. Standing Up for Our Rights: Larry’s career encompasses 30 years of fearlessly standing up for justice and fair treatment on behalf of clients of every stripe.
   
2. Solving Philadelphia’s Mass Incarceration Crisis: The cost of imprisoning one person for a year pays the salary of a young public school teacher, social worker, or police officer engaging in appropriate community policing. Resources could instead be invested in job training and addiction treatment. Mass incarceration simply won't heal our torn social fabric, and does not make us safer. Real justice does. As District Attorney, Larry will fight for real justice—which makes us safer.
   
3. Stop the Death Penalty: As District Attorney, Larry will exercise his lawful discretion not to pursue a death sentence. The death penalty Is an expensive fraud that undermines public safety. It has cost taxpayers over $1 billion to pursue since the 1970’s that could have been spent on teachers, social workers, police, addiction and job programs that make us safe.
   
4. Drug Addiction: A Disease, Not a Crime: Last year Philadelphia had three times as many overdose deaths as deaths by homicide. Drug addiction tears lives and families apart. Punishing addicts does not make us safer because our criminal justice system is not equipped to treat addiction. Acknowledging that addiction is a public health issue—and acting accordingly—supports addicts’ recoveries and rebuilds their communities.
   
5. Unite Police and Communities: Ineffective, divisive police measures fail to make us safe. They also divide police and the neighborhoods they protect, increasing unnecessary conflict. While the DA’s office cannot abolish these practices, Larry will work with the PPD to reform divisive law enforcement tactics while holding suspects and police officers equally accountable as required by law.