PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner is pushing back against Pennsylvania state lawmakers after the state House found him in contempt for failure to comply with a subpoena.
People from all over the city, including clergy and elected officials, gathered at Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church in support of Krasner Wednesday night.
The DA was also in attendance. He told the crowd that the politicians behind the impeachment efforts disagree with his policies.
“Our opponents know that reform prosecution is on the rise, that traditional prosecution will not survive if the people’s voices are heard and the votes are counted,” he said. “And that’s why they want to erase your votes.”
Krasner spoke for a few minutes after more than a dozen people took the podium, like Michelle Parker. She utilized a program through the District Attorney’s Office after her son, Evan Baylor, was killed while selling his car.
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“It’s not just about how many people are killed in the city of Philadelphia. Who’s really in charge of the laws?” she asked. “Philadelphians are not in charge of the laws. The state Legislature is.”
Members of the House committee are concerned about the spike of gun violence in Philadelphia and are looking, in part, at how money intended for law enforcement and crime victims is actually being spent.
Out of the 162 Republican-led House members who voted in favor of finding Krasner in contempt, 51 were Democrats. Of the 24 Democrats from Philadelphia in the House, 10 voted in favor and 13 were against. One representative did not vote.