PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner was harshly criticized by his Democratic opponent Judge Pat Dugan for attending the 52nd Ward meeting last Saturday, despite the fact the ward leader had just been convicted of child sexual assault.
Krasner attended the meeting as part of his reelection campaign. Unaware, he says, that just two weeks earlier a prosecutor from his own office had won a child sexual assault conviction against ward leader Stephen Jones.
“I don’t have any recollection of having a discussion about a case with a defendant named Stephen Jones. I don’t have any recollection of discussing this case,” Krasner said.
Dugan’s campaign asked in a statement if the District Attorney’s Office is “inept or just so broken and dysfunctional that they don’t even communicate internally about a high profile case being prosecuted over the last 17 months?”
Krasner angrily responded that Stephen Jones is a common name and he’s glad his office doesn’t treat high profile defendants differently.
“We got justice and you try to turn this into some cheap political football to benefit yourself,” he said.
Dugan also suggested Krasner may have traded Jones’ temporary freedom in exchange for political support. Krasner flatly denied the suggestion and called it defamatory and “dirty politics.” Jones, who has since resigned as a ward leader, is home on bail while awaiting sentencing.