Philadelphia District Attorney's Office
| Philadelphia District Attorney's Office | |
|---|---|
| Type | Elected county prosecutor (row office under state law) |
| Led by | Larry Krasner (Democrat), in office since January 2018; re-elected 2021 and 2025 |
| Term | Four years |
| 2025 result | Krasner about 76 percent, Republican Pat Dugan about 24 percent (WHYY) |
| Jurisdiction | Prosecution of state-law crimes in Philadelphia County |
| Website | phillyda.org |
The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office is the agency that prosecutes crimes under Pennsylvania law in Philadelphia. The District Attorney is elected countywide and is independent of the mayor. Larry Krasner, a former criminal defense and civil rights attorney, first won the office in 2017, was re-elected in 2021, and was re-elected again in November 2025.[1]
1 Role and structure
The District Attorney decides whether to charge crimes, what to charge, whether to offer plea agreements, and whether to seek sentences, and represents the Commonwealth in the Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court. Assistant district attorneys work in trial, charging, homicide, special investigations, appeals and other units. Police departments, chiefly the Philadelphia Police Department, investigate and bring cases to the office. The office is a row office funded through the city budget but not controlled by the mayor. Defendants unable to afford counsel are generally represented by the Defender Association.
2 Policies and units
Krasner ran as a "progressive prosecutor," pledging to reduce incarceration, stop prosecuting some low-level offenses, and examine police misconduct. The office created a Conviction Integrity Unit in 2018 which, according to press reports, has been credited with more than 35 exonerations. Reports in 2025 said two top officials in the unit had resigned amid legal scrutiny, and in September 2026 the Inquirer's editorial board commented on an investigation concerning wrongful-conviction work. Those matters are contested and ongoing; readers should consult current coverage. The office also maintains lists of officers with credibility issues, commonly called the "Brady list" after the Supreme Court decision requiring disclosure of exculpatory evidence.[2]
3 Impeachment and political conflict
In November 2022 the Republican-led Pennsylvania House voted to impeach Krasner, citing alleged failures to enforce the law and crime in Philadelphia. The Commonwealth Court ruled in December 2022 that the articles did not allege misbehavior in office, and on September 27, 2024 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held the articles were null and void because the process could not continue into a new legislative session, with one dissent. The office issued a statement welcoming the ruling.[3] The dispute illustrates the state-city tension described in Pennsylvania State Government and Philadelphia.
4 Debate and criticism
Supporters say the office has focused resources on serious crime, corrected wrongful convictions and challenged abusive practices. Critics, including the police union (see Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5), some elected officials and opponents, argue that its charging and plea policies have undermined public safety and morale. Both sides cite data on homicide, clearance and conviction rates, which are themselves debated. Federal and state judges have also commented in particular cases. Opinions on all of this differ; the wiki does not take a position.
5 Residents and the office
Crime victims and witnesses can contact the office's victim services unit. Residents can report concerns about police misconduct to the Citizens Police Oversight Commission and may request records under the Right-to-Know Law, subject to exemptions for criminal investigations. Pennsylvania's Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney's Office have overlapping jurisdiction in some cases.
See also: Police Accountability Systems, First Judicial District, Elections in Philadelphia.
References
- WHYY, "Philadelphia 2025 election results"; Philadelphia Department of Records and City Commissioners results (vote-results.phila.gov).
- Philadelphia Daily, "Top officials resign from Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner's Conviction Integrity Unit amid legal scrutiny" (May 2025); NBC Philadelphia profile of Krasner; Philadelphia Inquirer editorial (September 18, 2026).
- Pennsylvania Capital-Star and WHYY, reports on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's September 2024 impeachment ruling; Philadelphia DA's Office statement.