Friday, October 9, 2020

What Are These Guys Doing Out On The Street?

By Ralph Cipriano
for BigTrial.net

At 8 p.m. last night, a gunman opened fire on a crowd of men standing on the 4900 block of Frankford Avenue. One man was killed; six others were wounded.

All the victims were black males, but none were choir boys. Between them, the seven men had 51 prior arrests, including seven arrests for violations of the Uniform Firearms Act. As far as the shooter goes, nobody knows how many priors he's got, but hopefully, we'll find that out when he's in custody.

In the last two days, there have been 17 shootings in Philadelphia, resulting in one murder, and many more victims in critical condition. The city is now up to 371 homicides, which puts us on a pace for 435 to 460 for the year. Meanwhile, in New York City, which has more than five times the population of Philadelphia, as of Oct. 4th, there were only 346 murders.

Why are there so many murders in Philadelphia? The simple answer is that there are far too many dangerous guys who belong in jail, but instead are out on the streets of Philadelphia, shooting each other on a nightly basis. And who's responsible for emptying the city's jails? Anecdotal evidence, like what happened last night on Frankford Avenue, as well as a recent study, point to the one guy who's responsible for all this mayhem: District Attorney Larry Krasner.

A study published in July by the pro-cop Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund  found that so-called social justice prosecutors like Krasner in six cities "have failed to successfully prosecute offenders, dropping or losing more cases than their predecessors," according to a foreword written by former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III.

"Vigorously and diligently pursuing law-breakers made our communities safer," Meese wrote about the not-so distant past when district attorneys existed to put criminals in jail.

"Violent criminals who prey on innocents do not deserve to be coddled," Meese said in a direct rebuke of Krasner and his ilk. "Prosecutors who fail to hold them [criminals] accountable are derelict in their duty to justice."

Meese was hoping the study would "serve as a wake-up call to our elected leaders, law enforcement officers, and the media that leftist ideas of social justice and true criminal justice are not compatible." 

"The duty of every prosecutor is to serve the public's interest, not their own," Meese wrote. "Ideological crusades have no place in the court of law, and criminal conduct cannot be sanctioned on personal whims."

Amen.

Meese was talking about Larry Krasner. The study looked at Krasner's first two years in office, 2018 and 2019, and compared them with the record of the D.A.'s office from 2014 to 2018. Most of that time Rufus Seth Williams was D.A., until 2017, when he went to jail for political corruption, and was replaced by interim D.A. Kelley Hodge. 

The study results are a disaster for Krasner.

The Legal Defense Fund study found that in the D.A.'s office under Williams and Hodge, 48.6% of all felony cases ended in guilty verdicts or pleas. Meanwhile, Krasner's record of guilty verdicts or pleas in all felony cases was 35.5%, a 27% percent decrease.

Under Williams and Hodge, 51.4% of all felony cases were dropped, lost or diverted, while Krasner's record was 64.5%, a 26% increase.

In cases involving aggravated assault with a gun, the D.A.'s office under Williams and Hodge got guilty verdicts or guilty pleas in those cases 48.0% of the time. Meanwhile, the conviction rate of the D.A.'s office under Krasner's regime was 36.7%, a decrease of 30%.

Regarding dropped lost or diverted cases involving aggravated assault with a gun, the rate in the D.A.'s office under Williams and Hodge was 52.0%. By contrast, Krasner's rate of dropped, lost or diverted cases of aggravated assault with a gun was a whopping 63.3%, a 22% increase.

Regarding drug sales, the D.A.'s office under Williams and Hodge got guilty verdicts or guilty pleas at a 66.4% clip. But under Krasner, the conviction rate for drug sale cases fell to 44.5%, a 33% decrease.

When it came to dropped, lost or diverted cases of drug sales, the D.A.'s office under Williams and Hodge had a 33.6% rate; the record for Krasner's office was 44.5%, a huge 65% increase.

In Philadelphia, Larry Krasner has basically legalized drugs. And drug dealers, who are typically armed, and have plenty of cash to pay for low bail, are the guys shooting it out on the streets every night for supremacy of the flourishing local drug trade.

Which brings us to Larry Krasner's failing grade for prosecuting gun crimes.

Regarding illegal firearm possession cases, the D.A.'s office under Williams and Hodge got guilty verdicts or pleas at a 66.5% rate. Under Krasner, the conviction rate in the D.A.'s office fell to 52.6%, a 21% decrease. 

And, as a Big Trial study has previously shown, even when Krasner convicts somebody for a gun crime, or gets them to plead guilty, almost 50% walk out of jail immediately. And EVERY criminal who pleads guilty or is convicted of a gun crime gets a sentence well below state sentencing guidelines for gun crimes from their "Uncle Larry" in the D.A.'s office.

When it came to dropped, lost or diverted illegal firearms cases, the D.A.'s office under Williams and Hodge had a 33.5% rate. But under Krasner, that futility rate in the D.A.'s office rose to 47.4%, a 42% increase.

Have you got all this? Our last D.A., Rufus Seth Williams, took bribes and kickbacks, sold his office, stole from his mother, and became the first D.A. in the city's history to land in jail. But as low as that bar was, Larry Krasner is setting a new standard for futility, with his drastically reduced conviction rate, and highly increased rate of dropping, losing or diverting other criminal cases.

The inescapable result of Krasner's Progressive policies -- more criminals are out on the streets, shooting each other.

Regarding the latest shootout on Frankford Avenue, the murder victim was Ammon Hargrove, 29. Police said Hargrove had five prior arrests, including busts for theft and narcotics, and one just last week for carrying an illegal gun. Of course, he immediately made bail.

Hargrove was taken to Temple University Hospital for multiple gunshot wounds, and was pronounced dead at 8:10 p.m. 

Five of the other six shooting victims were hospitalized. 

Video recovered from the scene showed a shooter walking past the group as they were engaged in casual conversation. Then the shooter stopped at the corner, turned and started firing. A second shooter emerged from the driver's seat of a silver four-door Ford Focus Sedan parked on Frankford Avenue, and returned the fire. He chased the first shooter down the street, before jumping in his car and fleeing the scene.

Police recovered 48 spent casings on the block, all 9 mm bullets. The cops also reported that four victims who were armed did not have permits to carry guns. 

The other shooting victims were identified as Qadir Wilson, 25, who had five prior arrests, including three busts for narcotics and one arrest for illegally carrying a gun. Wilson was reported in critical condition.

Another shooting victim, Laquan Hayes, 27, who appeared to be the principal target of the gunman, according to the cops, had 11 prior arrests. They include two arrests for aggravated assaults, one arrest for a stolen auto, two arrests for thefts, one arrest for escape, and four VUFA arrests, the most recent of which was on Aug. 29th for carrying an unlicensed firearm, and carrying a firearm in public. 

Hayes' bail the was set at $25,000, meaning he had to put down 10 percent, or only $2,500, to get out of jail the same day he was arrested. He was reported in stable condition. 

Michael Davis, 28, another shooting victim, had five prior arrests for narcotics; he was reported in stable condition. 

Darrell Bell, 27, has 16 prior arrests, including seven for aggravated assault, one for terroristic threats, one for strangulation, and three VUFA arrests. He was reported in stable condition.

DeVaught Hart, 29, has five priors, including four narcotics arrests, and one VUFA arrest. He was reported in stable condition.

Khalil Clownery, 28, had four priors; according to police records, he was not hospitalized.

When Fox 29 was doing a story on the Frankford Avenue shooting, they asked District Attorney Larry Krasner why so many guys are getting shot in Philadelphia.

According to Krasner, it was all a big mystery. 

"I wish I could tell you that we have an answer," Krasner told the TV station. "The only answer I have is that the Philadelphia Police Department and the District Attorney's Office and all other law enforcement have to be on the same page and have to work together to see what we can do in this terrible crisis."

As a public service, Big Trial is going to explain how all law enforcement agencies can work together to solve the crisis of gun violence in record speed. It's a three-step solution that's so simple, yet it's so far eluded all the hand-wringing politicians at City Hall, who hold all those worthless forums on gun violence, and the determined social justice warriors at the Inquirer, who are always covering for Krasner.

Step one: have the feds arrest Larry Krasner for obstruction of justice, corruption, theft of honest services, and whatever else they can think of.

Step two: put Krasner in one of the many empty jail cells that we have in Philadelphia. 

Step three: find a district attorney who will actually enforce the law, and go back to putting violent and dangerous criminals in jail, where they belong. 

Boom, crisis over, and law and order, as well as peace on the streets, is immediately restored in Philadelphia.

16 comments

  1. Larry Krasner is a disgusting, rotten piece of filth that is beyond cancerous in Philadelphia. He is single handedly destroying families all over the city and needs to be arrested IMMEDIATELY. Bill McSwain, if you can read this......please charge Krasner with Official Oppression and Obstruction before more families suffer. Enough is Enough. #backtheblue

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    1. Sadly, no one is doing a thing about having Krasner, Keeney and Lil Ms. NoLaw arrested and imprisoned for the complete failure if their governing roles and their blatant disregard for public safety......

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  2. Until these BLM Inspired Rappers and Thugs start killing each other in front of the pristine Comcast HQ or Inquirer HQ at 8th and Market the Bandwagon for Obama/Biden/Krasner Crime Organizations will continue.

    Blood on the Streets of the Ghetto is a Liberal Sociological Study until the City becomes a sewer like Oakland or Portland and produces Law Enforcement Geniuses like Commissioner Outlaw and DA Krasner.

    Ralph, your data and statistics versus the Garbage produced by Outlaw is a clear and irrefutable challenge to the future of Society if the Democrats are not removed from governing.

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    1. Contemporary democrats anyway. Cannot see a Harry Truman tolerating this anarchy. Anarchy on the streets and in city government.

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  3. Krasner is responsible for every murder. Look at all the prior these guys have! They should have been in JAIL! But ,because of Krasner they're out shooting each other. And he acts like he doesn't know why! Unbelievable!

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  4. Where was Outlaw last night? Something this big happening, she should have been there. No offense to the deputy commisioner. I guess she didn't want to answer any questions,because of her ineptness to do her job.

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  5. It has now been documented that in the State of Washington, Jay-Z, the lionized Rapper Drug Dealing Mogul and Hero to the Ghetto Rat Killers is underwriting Bail and Court Fees of arrested felons rioters and insurrectionists.

    If Professional Sports Leagues, Media Congolmerates and Political Titans partner with criminally directed American Corporations and choose to take sides with the Criminal Upper Class and Under Class to wage a wide attack on Civilization in coordination with Democrat Elected Officials, at what point will the FBI and DOJ act responsibly and charge then with Criminal Conspiracy??

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  6. BLM is nowhere to be found at the crime scene. Why? Because they have essentially nothing to offer towards creating the peace in this esteemed city.

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    1. BLM is a complete joke. They only care about one thing and it’s not gun violence. They only care when a white cop shoots a black person. That’s it. It’s politically run nonsense. 372+ homicides and tumbleweeds. You’ll hear nothing.

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  7. LeBum {sic} James will have BLM tattooed on his forehead to further his advanced branding of this Chinese Nike Disney Terrorist Organization.

    Of course he will forgo licensing and copyright restrictions since he is a proud sponsor and partner with this Criminal Enterprise.

    Hopefully the Modern Day Tuskegee Experiment will be the inspiration for further cleansing of the Rodent NBA and its Followers.

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  8. Who is paying for the health care associated with these gun fights? These criminals are wasting valuable resources and may require long term care in the future further taxing society.

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  9. I think this bears repeating, the Inky and the Justice Department worked hard to send good people to jail for life, good people who did not take a dime, good people accused of an ethics violation. We have to decide what is a crime and what at best is an ethical violation. No one should have been threatened with a life time in jail during the Traffic Court trial and none of those good people should have lost their life savings and reputations.

    WTF criminals walking out the door after being arrested on gun charges. Maybe if they had been elected officials the Inky would have had something to say and gotten them off the street. This is sickening and to think that our federal prosecutors work in conjunction with the Inky to send any politician to jail for life. Federal prosecutors invent crimes and outright lie to federal grand juries, federal judges and use the Inky as an accomplice to sway the public.

    The Traffic Court trial was one such fiasco of a trial, former prosecutors said that the charges were not even an indictable offense but it went to federal court because the leader of the Supreme Court wanted it to, instead of doing his friggin job he wanted to send everyone to prison for life. WTF are we going on in this country? Good people that did not take a fucking dime who did not defraud the city or state as was alleged. We watched as prosecutors displayed repulsive behavior to send fellow citizens to jail, no slimy act was to low for the feds to sink. They did a bad job and were caught by the defense but their bad behavior went unnoticed by the Inky because they were part of the prosecution. Who could expect the Inky to have highlighted the outrages of federal employees when they were part of the scheme to send good people to jail for life. If the Supreme Court had a friggin problem with Traffic Court there was an Ethics Board in place to handle any concerns. The plan was to trap and disgrace other humans. Well fuck the Supreme Court and fuck the Inky for being in on the scheme.

    We are fucking the country with prosecutors who lie to get an indictment and use terrorist tactics to threaten innocents to sign plea bargains. This has to stop, life is cheap in America. You can get shot walking down the street or put in prison for life for no crime whatsoever, a lying federal prosecutor just had to say there was a crime and the Inky falls to their knees. Let's find another way to straighten out our systems that don't work, or unless the Inky thinks all Americans belong in jail. Prosecutors are "making work" for themselves and taking the Inky hostage.

    Shame on the Inky for being in a compromised position, they can never help a defendant because they only are there to condemn, not see justice, not seek the truth, just to work for the prosecution. Well grow a set of balls and come to the aid of the public who is now in grave danger as the revolving door for criminals is wide open. Let federal prosecutors fight their battles in court, not on the front pages of the paper. The justice department in America is in a disgraceful state, good people are working to make it better but we need the Inky to realize the harm they are doing by NOT doing the job of a journalist, speaking the truth.

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    1. I post behind anonymous when sharing my opinion on this valued site as you continue to do as well. We both share views that hold the Inquirer and the Justice System with contempt for reasons based on conjecture and experience.

      You have made it clear over the course of many posts that your experience with the prosecution of Phila. Traffic Court Trials has caused you great pain and suffering. But there is undeniable and conclusive evidence that the Phila. Traffic Court System and Operation was a corrupt enterprise that was managed and populated by criminal Judges who were manipulated by greed and acted far beyond fair and judicial decorum.

      Investigators, Prosecutors, the Judicial System and the Media who participated in the Corruption should be held accountable as well, but all who knowingly and willfully participate in criminal acts should face and bare legal consequences.

      What is beyond dispute is the Reality that the Inquirer has a History of supporting and endorsing Criminal Politicians who flagrantly disregard Laws as they are written and let a City be governed by the SCUMBAGS IN OFFICE and have the temerity to endorse Biden/Harris who they know will support and defend Rioters Looters and Insurrectionists.

      The Crimes of Traffic Court are small potatoes compared to the Master Plan of the Democrats.

      Watch the Confirmation Hearings this Week of Judge Barrett to see what these weasels in the Senate really stand for when it comes to the Rule of Law and how they demand that the SCOTUS Legislate from the Bench if given further extended power.

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    2. Except none of the cases presented at Traffic Court stretched further back then a few years. Each of the Judges were indicted on a handful of tickets, one Judge on two, some with five another on seven. None of the years of mismanagement should have visited these defendants.

      The tickets were all found to be properly disposed of, the feds invented that 85% of the tickets for family and friends were discharged. That was not the case presented to the court, 85 % of the ticketholders who came into court to stand up for their tickets got some kind of consideration. The defendants had hired an actuary company to compile exactly the outcome of the tickets.

      One of the judges found the ticket holders guilty and had nothing to do with two other tickets but he was still indicted on those tickets.

      If Traffic Court had an issue that needed to be remedied there was an ethics board in Harrisburg in place to take care of any issue.

      Over and over the defense stressed to the jury that not one dime or anything of value was taken. No one should be held liable for crimes that may have been committed in the past. Would you like to go to jail for the rest of your life for someone else's issue that was not your own or that you did not commit. That is what the public and the Inky wanted, it was not what was shown at the trial.

      This trial was a waste of tax payers money and should have never happened. Castile wanted to get rid of Traffic Court his entire career, as there were no Republican jobs to be had. Right or wrong, this was not the reason to ruin lives.

      When you witness first hand your government lying and scheming to send good people to jail for no crimes whatsoever it changes your outlook on your government and the media entirely.

      No one should be held accountable for crimes that may have occurred decades ago, no news outlet should attend parts of trial and then not accurately report on the days events.

      Most days the defense won the day, but the Inky never let that be known. No one should have to fear the Justice Department who did not commit a crime, but when the media assists in tainting the jury before you walk into a courtroom there is something very wrong.

      No prosecutor or FBI agent should be able to get caught in a lie and then walk away unscathed, if that is your form of justice its distorted, its not mine nor will it ever be. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Letting the Justice Department hold an iron fist over the country creates cowards and mindless journalist who do not ask important questions.

      Justice should not depend on your party affiliation, it depends on getting the facts to the people and letting them decide, not having the media take the prosecutions version and hold it up as gospel.


      The feds did a really poor job of finding fault, they needed to lie and were caught cheating and hiding evidence, the FBI agent on this case lied repeatedly and was caught repeatedly.
      The charges were not even indictable offenses and should never made it to federal court. So regardless of what you are alleging were not the charges that appeared before the court or were alleged by the feds.

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  10. These facts are appalling, but Inky will never publish this. Krasner, thanks to Soros and no big name opponent, is a shoe-in for reelection. I think he is going to run for Mayor and he will ensure a just as progressive DA wins that seat. Doomsday

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