PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — If federal agents come to Philadelphia and break the law, Larry Krasner says he’ll prosecute them. The district attorney is spearheading a coalition of prosecutors across the country pledging to do the same, following the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Democratic district attorneys from Minnesota, Texas, Arizona and Virginia joined Krasner in a virtual news conference on Wednesday to announce their participation in the Fight Against Federal Overreach (FAFO) coalition. Krasner assured that they will help each other in their fight against the feds and hold officials accountable.
“No agency or officer is above the law,” said Krasner. “When federal agents exceed their lawful authority, local prosecutors have both the power and the duty to act. The project exists to ensure that accountability is real, coordinated, and enforced through lawful institutions.”
While local prosecutors can bring charges against federal agents, like ICE, it can be difficult. Many times, federal agencies will not hand over evidence from their investigations, including interviews with witnesses, body camera footage and surveillance videos.
That means local prosecutors likely would have to conduct their own investigations — collecting witnesses and video evidence and relying on case law — which could be a massive undertaking for a local prosecutor’s office.
“We do have the ability to bring state criminal charges against federal officials, against federal officers, and to prosecute those cases to conclusion,” Krasner added. “There is no question that the president is without the power to pardon people who are convicted in state court.”