Thursday, March 15, 2018

Progressive Larry Krasner Legalizes Prostitution In Philadelphia

By Ralph Cipriano
for BigTrial.net

In Philadelphia, under our new D.A., Progressive Larry Krasner, it's now basically legal to be a prostitute, providing you're just getting started.

Under new policies announced on Feb. 15th by Krasner, his assistant D.A.s are being told "do not charge prostitution cases against sex workers where a person who has been arrested has two, one, or no prostitution convictions." In the case of a novice hooker, ADAs are instructed to "withdraw all pending cases in these categories that would be declined for charging under this policy."

But if a person has "three or more prostitution convictions," then an individual can be "charged with prostitution and immediately referred to DAWN Court," the new rules state. It's enough to make you wonder what Larry Krasner has against old hookers.

Other offenses that ADAs are being told to decline charging include possession of marijuana "regardless of weight," and paraphernalia offenses "where the drug involved is marijuana."

A former prosecutor who read the new policies described them as "agenda driven," adding, "He [Krasner] is very naive and obviously he's someone who has zero experience dealing with crime victims and the effects of crime." Another former prosecutor was even more blunt: "He doesn't give a fuck about victims."

But the grand experiment continues. The new policies call for charging and disposing of retail theft cases as a summary offense unless the item stolen exceeds $500, or "where the defendant has a very long history of theft and retail theft convictions."

Summary offenses, such as loitering or disorderly conduct, are the most minor type of criminal offense in the state, and are usually punishable by a fine. When it comes to retail theft,  if an ADA wants to actually charge somebody with a bigger offense, there's a problem. Under the Krasner regime, ADAs are told  in the new policies, "You must seek supervisory approval to charge and dispose of retail theft cases at misdemeanor or felony levels."

"Remember, that a summary conviction permits a sentence of 90 days incarceration, fines up to $250, and full restitution," the new policies state. "These penalties are sufficient to hold a retail theft accountable."

Under the new policies, Krasner is telling his ADAs that he wants them to divert more cases. Diversion programs, such as community service, restitution, or taking an educational course, are an alternative to normal sentencing that allows the offender to avoid charges and a criminal record.

"All attorneys are directed to approach diversion and re-entry with greater flexibility and an eye toward achieving accountability and justice while avoiding convictions where appropriate," the new policies state.

For example, "an otherwise law-abiding, first DUI (driving under the influence) defendant who has no driver's license (regardless of whether or not that defendant's immigration status interferes with obtaining a license under Pa. law) may apply for individualized consideration for diversion with a requirement of efforts to overcome license impediments where possible as an aspect of any diversionary program."

Also, defendants charged with marijuana delivery or possession with intent to deliver may apply for diversion programs, the new policies state.

When it comes to sentencing, Krasner wants his assistants to "state on the record the benefits and costs of the sentence you are recommending."

"The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world," the new policies state. "It has increased 500% over a few decades. Pennsylvania and Philadelphia have been incarcerating at an even higher rate than comparable U.S. states and cities for decades -- a 700 percent increase over the same few decades in Pennsylvania; and Philadelphia in recent years, has been the most incarcerated of the 10 largest cities. Yet Pennsylvania and Philadelphia are not safer as a result, due to wasting resources in corrections rather than investing in other measures that reduce crime."

Accordingly, ADAs under Krasner are actually required to state the costs of incarceration when they're recommending a sentence to a judge in a criminal case.

"At sentencing, ADAs must state on the record their reasoning for requesting a particular sentence, and must state the unique benefits and cotes of the sentence," the new policies state. The document then lists the costs of incarceration, $42,000 a year for one person, which boils down to $3,500 per month or $115 a day. If you add up pensions and other benefits to correctional employees, the total cost for incarcerating one individual in Philadelphia is "close to $60,000 per year," the new policies state.

That's comparable to a year's salary for a beginning teacher, police officer, firefighter, social worker, assistant district attorney or addiction counselor, the new policies state. So if an ADA is recommending that somebody go to jail for three years, the cost to the taxpayer is at least $126,000, the new policies state. If you're going to put somebody away for 25 years, it will cost $1,050,000. If an ADA is going to recommend a sentence such as 25 years, he or she must "explain why they believe that cost is justified."

At a press conference today to announce his new policies, Krasner declared, "A dollar spent in incarceration should be worth it."

In addition, Krasner is asking his ADAS to request shorter periods of probation. The new policies cite chronological studies that show that most violations of probation occur during the first 12 months.

"Any remaining probation is simply baggage requiring unnecessary expenditure of funds for supervision," the new policies state, especially since the county probation department is "overwhelmed with more than 44,000 supervisees, which makes supervising people who are likely to commit serious crimes more difficult."

Krasner also instructs his ADAs that a positive drug test for marijuana is no longer a parole violation, as is possession of marijuana "without supervisory approval."

So all you parollees, as far as Larry Krasner is concerned, smoke 'em if you got em.

Meanwhile, John McNesby, president of the FOP, did not sound optimistic about the new world order unfolding under Progressive Larry Krasner.

"It's gonna get worse," he said.

21 comments

  1. These policies will move Phila. higher on the list of Criminal Sanctuary Cities that the Federal Government will defund.

    Progressive Larry is only reinforcing the mandates that DA Crime Czar Rufus Williams set forth before his corruption set him down.

    The Weiss Brothers and the Gayborhood continue to spread their power and influence and thrive and will be loaded for bare in their brothels tonight.

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  2. This guy is crazy! All's he is doing is giving drunks permission to drive, thiefs the ok to steal, etc. Our City will be a criminal's haven. Ita scary

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  3. @6:49:

    Come on, state and local charges are distinct from fed. matters. Feds plan to defund as a matter of course.

    Also, *loaded for bear* is the correct term. (Work on that run-on sentence too.)

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    Replies
    1. Give your opinion, not grammar lessons.

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    2. I think bare was a play on words. Reread the context

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    3. Bingo!!!

      You have won 1st Prize on the new and popular DA Krasner Show
      Stump the Dummies.

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  4. And eho do you think is paying this Krasner guy really worling for, the City and the People or the underworld?! Give me a brake!!! Investigate the fuck out of him!

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  5. Calling on all Christians to pray for this city and that gods hand would move also to pray for out District Attorney and that god will convict him of these sins of legalizing prostitution and grant Mr. Krasner wisdom to do the right thing as this policy will have noting but destruction come with it.

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  6. Illegal Immigrant street walkers and sex slave traffickers are now a protected class.

    No wage or sales tax collected but make sure to raise the City property taxes, so that illegal urchins have a refuge to sell their drugs in the schools.

    Kenney Krasner and Commissioner Ross should be investigated and are regulars at Jose Garces' Taco Stands.

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  7. Now he is worried about the taxpayers?? He didnt have a problem stealing from the taxpayers when he had his drug dealing clients sue the city...he is an absolute disgrace.

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    Replies
    1. Apparently he wasn’t worried about paying his own taxes. Another new revelation yesterday to the tune of $130,000.

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  8. To minimize the effects of shoplifting by disposing retail thief cases Ikea's than $500 in value will cause merchants to consider closing their shops and moving out of the city. The empty stores will cause property values to slowly decline in the neighborhood. To legalize prostitution will spread the horrific sufferings of sex workers to more arras of the city. To expose families with children the open effects of prostitution will cause then to list house and move out of the city. Imagine people spending 400K to purchase a townhouse only to be confronted by a prostitute is not what a neighborhood wants to see happen.To be progressive and enact reforms that legalize the behavior you do not want to see flourish will only lead to a growth in crime that will affect men, and women with children isn't what Liberals, Social Progressives and Conservatives want to see happen as they want their families safe. Kenny needs to talk to Krasner about his choices of reckless reform unless he wants to see strong minded people come out-of the woodwork to challenge him for Mayor. We deserve better frothed people we put in charge of running this city.

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  9. I wish the starting salary for a teacher/social worker/ drug counselor etc was 60k. That's more than most midcareer positions in those fields.

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  10. Criminal justice reform is a topic of national conversation that is decades overdue but when is reform ever going to happen? Who can we count on to give us relief, prosecutors who answer to no one and have immunity from prosecution, judges who are former prosecutors? The Inquirer, who is an extension of the prosecution, are they going to advocate for reform?.
    The current administration is looking to roll back hard won battles on sentencing, even suggesting new tactic that drug dealers/traffickers be put to death. Tough on crime did not work in the 80’s, it did not stop the drug epidemic we have now and is not going to work if reinstated. We are being told that jailing our population is going to cure our social ills.
    With the largest segment of our population in jails in recent history, we need another way to deal with our problems other than more jails and more laws. Who would have imagined that school shootings would be commonplace or that we would have an addiction problem this widespread, that mass shootings come and go with no change in laws protecting us from deeply troubled individuals?

    As for prostitution, how horrifying to think that women or men for that matter, need to reduce themselves to selling their bodies to people that are outright exploiting them, to either continue a drug addiction or survive at all.




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  11. Consenting. Adults.

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    Replies
    1. Not agreeing with that statement, no one sells their body unless they are desperate.

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    2. What are you a moron? Do you really believe that women only have sex for money unless they are desperate? Idiot. And it's a shame there's probably a lot of others who are ignorant enough to feel the same. Consenting Adults is correct! Krasner is correct also to divert resources and incarceration away from minor nonsense to focus on major crimes.

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    3. Visible after approval is b.s. also!!! Whoever is running or controlling this site!

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  12. Go for it. Progressive Larry deserves credit for his many accomplishments in making our city a more dangerous place.

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