for BigTrial.net
It's been a rough few days for District Attorney Larry Krasner.
On Friday, he tried to visit Temple University Hospital where a murdered police officer's family was grieving. But officers outside the hospital linked arms and made a human wall to prevent Krasner from entering. The TV cameras caught Krasner and his entourage walking away from the thick blue line. When Krasner tried to slip in the hospital through a back entrance, the cops blocked him there as well.
Over the weekend, critics on social media pounded away at Krasner's turnstile style of justice that grants all kinds of favors to criminals, to put them back out on the street as soon as possible, so they can commit more crimes, and hurt more people. On Sunday, the criticism on social media grew so intense that Krasner called 911 to report that he'd been threatened.
Specifically, according to a crime report, Krasner complained that his "personal home residence was posted on social media, along with some personal dissatisfactions with the way he is running his office."
Imagine that. Then today, one of Krasner's most prominent critics, U.S. Attorney William McSwain, dropped the hammer. McSwain issued a press release that blasted Krasner, saying the Friday murder of Cpl. James O'Connor IV was "the direct result" of Krasner's "pro-violent defendant policies."
According to McSwain, Hassan Elliott, the man that O'Connor led a SWAT team to arrest when he was killed, "was on the street for one reason," Krasner's "pro-violent policies" that included "permissive bail conditions for violent offenders, failing to pursue serious probation and parole violations by violent criminals, offering lenient plea deals for violent offenses, and outright withdrawing cases against violent felons."
McSwain said that Elliott, 21, was a longtime member of a violent gang called "1700" that blights the area of 1700 Brill Street and 1700 Scattergood Street.
"The gang is alleged to be responsible for many shootings in the area and is brazen about their access to firearms," McSwain wrote. The U.S. Attorney recommended viewing a YouTube rap video, "Frankford Purge," that features Elliott at the 1.29 minute mark, "partially masked, brandishing a firearm."
McSwain then went through the D.A.'s record of leniency involving Elliott, the same record that Big Trial has laid out in two recent postings. McSwain cited a "below-guidelines sentence" of 9 to 23 months in prison that Elliott received after he pleaded guilty to a firearms charge.
Following his release, McSwain said, the Philadelphia Probation and Parole Department categorized Elliott as a "high risk" offender and placed him under the supervision of the Anti-Violence High Risk Unit. Elliott was required to make weekly visits to his probation officer and submit to regular urine tests.
"Elliott violated his parole almost immediately by failing numerous drug tests, and also by repeatedly failing to report to his parole officer," McSwain wrote.
Elliott was scheduled for a parole violation hearing on Feb. 6, 2019. But prior to that hearing, on Jan. 29, 2019, Elliott was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine after a foot chase, when police found 15 packets of cocaine in Elliott's pockets.
"This arrest was in direct violation of Elliott's parole, but the District Attorney's office did not pursue a detainer against him or make any attempt to have Elliott taken into custody for this serious violation," McSwain wrote. The D.A.'s office "allowed Elliott to be released on his own recognizance -- no bail was set."
"This is stunning," McSwain wrote, "considering that Elliott was on parole for his firearms conviction. Here, there was an arrest, and multiple parole violations and the Krasner regime did nothing."
But the Philadelphia Police Department identified Krasner as an "Operation Pinpoint" target offender, a crime fighting strategy that according to the U.S. Attorney, "targets the worst violent offenders in the city."
"Even with Elliott now identify as one of the city's worst violent offenders, Krasner's office still did nothing in response to Elliott's violation of his parole through his cocaine arrest," McSwain wrote.
On March 1, 2019, McSwain said, after Elliott attended a pretrial status listing for his cocaine case, he allegedly murdered Tyree Tyrone on the 5300 block of Duffield Street.
"Elliott and another man, both armed with handguns, approached Tyrone, who was sitting his his car, and allegedly opened fire at close range," McSwain wrote. "Video showed Elliott fleeing the scene and his fingerprints were found on one of the alleged murder weapons."
On March 26, 2019, the D.A.'s office issued an arrest warrant for the murder of Tyrone. The next day, Elliott was scheduled to go to trial on the cocaine charge, and didn't show. Despite the defendant's absence, the D.A. withdrew the drug charge, citing prosecutorial discretion.
"These facts paint a damning picture of a prosecutor's office that prioritizes 'decarceration' of violent offenders over public safety," McSwain wrote.
"First, it is inexcusable that the District Attorney's office made no attempt to take Elliott into custody after his cocaine arrest. Had he been detained after his Jan. 29, 2019 arrest -- which was a direct violation of his parole on the earlier gun conviction -- her certainly would have been in prison on March 1, 2019, when he allegedly murdered Tyree Tyrone.
"And if that were the case, Corporal O'Connor would not have been trying to arrest Elliott for that murder last Friday. Instead, Corporal O'Connor would be alive today, as would Mr. Tryone."
As Big Trial previously pointed out, McSwain agreed that it was a dumb move to drop the cocaine case against Elliott. McSwain called it "inexcusable."
In an interview Jane Roh, Krasner's spokesperson, told reporters at the gullible Philadelphia Inquirer that dropping the drug charge "had no bearing on public safety."
But McSwain disagreed.
"No responsible prosecutor's office would ever voluntarily withdraw a case against a violent defendant who doesn't show up for his first trial date," McSwain wrote. Elliott, the U.S. Attorney wrote, had been identified by the cops as "one of the worst violent offenders in the city . . . a gang-banger wanted for murder."
"How could any rational human being possibly decide to withdraw the cocaine case against Elliott in these circumstances?" the U.S. Attorney asked. "The bottom line," McSwain wrote, is that "this District Attorney's priorities alway lie with violent offenders, consequences be damned."
"Krasner has much to answer for" after the murder of Cpl. O'Connor, McSwain wrote. "He should be asked tough questions."
"Krasner has infected the District Attorney's office with a sickness that has deadly consequences for the entire city," McSwain concluded. "Enough is enough. This madness must stop."
Well, as Big Trial can attest, Krasner doesn't answer any tough questions. He only takes questions from fellow Progressives, like his friends at The Philadelphia Inquirer, who coddle Krasner the same way he coddles criminals.
But rest assured, in the wake of Corporal O'Connor's murder, the city is cracking down. But it's not on the corrupt district attorney, it's on the police.
Yep, you heard that right. Over the weekend, a note went out from Chief Inspector Joel Dales in the Patrol Bureau.
"Commanders,
Please ensure that everyone under your command adheres to our Social Media policy. Since the murder of Cprl. O'Connor, anti-Krasner postings have increased on social media. At this time, it is unknown if any of the postings were posted by police officers."
"Please ensure that our social media policy is read at all roll calls for the next 3 days."
"Thanks, JD."