Swept into office along with other progressive, reform-minded district attorneys in major American cities whose campaigns were heavily backed with George Soros money, Philly DA chronicles the election, inauguration, and time in office for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania District Attorney Larry Krasner. This eight-part series follows the rise of this civil rights attorney who spent more time suing the previous District Attorney’s office than time in a role as a prosecutor.
Krasner is an unlikely individual for this elected office, with a national conversation about policing, corruption within the halls of Philadelphia's city government, and a grassroots movement to reform the criminal justice system. However, the timing was right for him and other progressive district attorneys to run for office. While this film focuses on Krasner, the local conversations in relation to specific criminal justice reform efforts mirror the same conversations happening in other cities and illuminate how decisions are made on the inside.
With unprecedented access to the Krasner campaign and his time in office, this political series chronicles the inner workings of a district attorney's office that is moving from a law-and-order perspective to one of social justice reform through private moments, news coverage, and conversations with those closest to Krasner. Viewers gain an understanding of how policy changes within the District Attorney’s office are made in relation to bail reform, decriminalizing low-level offenses, and changes to policing in the city of Philadelphia.
This series offers insight for those in the local area who have followed the controversies of this District Attorney’s office, including the firing of assistant district attorneys who did not share Krasner's views and the uncovering of a secret list of police officers that were not to be used in court. While many in the Philadelphia area will want a more balanced perspective, Philly DA offers a clear picture of the changing landscape of criminal justice in America and the role of the District Attorney’s office in the prosecution of crimes.
This series should be an essential part of any collection in the greater metropolitan Philadelphia area as the coverage provides a clear understanding of the Krasner District Attorney's Office and is highly recommended for any criminal justice, political science, government, law, policy studies, prison reform, and social justice collections. Highly Recommended.