This is a follow-up to yesterday’s post about Tigre Hill’s excellent docuseries 72 Seconds in Rittenhouse Square.

At the time Sean Schellenger was killed, I was a regular contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer. This was before the Inky went woke. Back then I wrote repeated Inky op-eds criticizing District Attorney Larry Krasner’s atrocious mistreatment of crime victims and their families.

One of my Inky pieces discussed Krasner’s mishandling of the Schellenger homicide and his abuse of the victim’s mother, Linda Schellenger. I republished that piece on this blog back in 2019 and linked it to Linda’s article in the Inky which challenged Krasner’s commitment to enforce the law.

Linda’s article is behind the Inky’s paywall, which is why I am republishing it below. As you read her account of Krasner’s disgusting behavior, keep in mind that hers is only one of a legion of bereaved families of murder victims that have received the same callous treatment by his office.

My son was murdered. Why won’t DA Larry Krasner prosecute to the fullest extent of the law? | Opinion

Oct. 26, 2018, 1:41 p.m. ET

My son, Sean Schellenger, was murdered July 12.  What I have learned since then is what too many victims’ families in this city have already experienced. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner is not, in my opinion, working for justice in violent crime cases.

My son was murdered, and Krasner, who is my son’s legal representative, agreed to a reduced charge in this case before a judge or jury had the opportunity to consider the original charge, made by his office. Krasner has not returned phone calls nor kept scheduled meetings with me. My family and I have met with him only once since my son was murdered and that was before the Aug. 1 hearing when he reduced the charge.

During a chance encounter on the street on Oct. 1, I asked Krasner to reconsider the charge based on new evidence, and he asked me to schedule a meeting with him.  I called his office five days in a row and left messages every day, with no return call.  I finally reached the office’s victims advocate, who scheduled a meeting for Oct.16, only to have it cancelled at 9:45 p.m. the night before. They said they’d send new dates.  I’ve heard nothing since.

We’ve been assigned prosecutors from the District Attorney’s Office. They are fine, highly qualified professionals whom we have great faith in. However, it’s been made clear to us that their recommendations can be and are overruled by Krasner.

The shame of it is that I am a supporter of Krasner’s political platform.  I, too, believe that in the case of minor legal infractions or misdemeanors, sentences are too long, and people are incarcerated inappropriately.  However, I do not, and have never, believed that reducing sentencing guidelines or charges in the case of violent crime, specifically murder, is just.  Violent crimes, especially murder, should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Sean was compassionate, smart, incredibly giving, the son and brother every family dreams of, a friend for life.  His life was taken from us in a violent crime. The preliminary hearing for this case is Oct. 30, and my reasoned request, on behalf of the victims of violent crime across the city of Philadelphia, is that Larry Krasner do his job and ensure that this case – and others like it – is tried before a judge and jury, on the murder charge, so that justice may be served.

Linda Schellenger is the mother of murder victim Sean Schellenger and the retired CEO of a Merck wholly owned subsidiary.

And here’s my blog post from October 2019 republishing my critique of Krasner’s handling of the Schellenger homicide case.

A Public Defender With Power

George ParryOctober 10, 2019

As you may know, Larry Krasner is a social justice warrior who was elected Philadelphia District Attorney with a hefty $1,000,000 campaign contribution from George Soros. It has been reported that, in private practice, Krasner sued the Philadelphia Police Department over 75 times for civil rights violations. Krasner’s conduct in office so far seems to substantiate that claim. Regarding his role as Philly’s top prosecutor, Krasner has proudly described himself as “a public defender with power.”

In previous posts, I have criticized Krasner’s handling of Mumia Abu-Jamal’s never-ending appeal of his 1982 conviction for the murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Danny Faulkner. (See, for example, my post Say Hello to Broad + Liberty.) 

Yesterday, my friends at the Philadelphia Inquirer published my latest op-ed regarding Krasner. You can access the op-ed on inquirer.com by clicking on this link. That way you will be able to view the readers’ comments.  Or, if you prefer, you can read it below. Either way, be sure to click on the embedded My son was murdered. Why won’t DA Larry Krasner prosecute to the fullest extent of the law? | Opinion to see one more example of the shameful way that Krasner treats the loved ones of murder victims.

And pay close attention. With Soros shopping for district attorneys across America, a Larry Krasner clone could be your community’s next top law enforcement officer.

Here’s the piece:

OPINION

Undercharging Rittenhouse stabber raises worrying questions about Larry Krasner | Opinion

Updated: October 9, 2019 – 9:11 AM 

George Parry, For The Inquirer

         Sean Schellenger, decedent, left. Michael White, defendant, right.

To prove murder of the first degree under Pennsylvania law, it is necessary for the prosecution to prove that the defendant willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation killed another. Pennsylvania case law has consistently held that the requirements of deliberation and premeditation are met whenever there is a conscious purpose to bring about death. The cases further hold that the specific intent to kill can be formulated in a fraction of a second. And, because a person generally intends the consequences of his act, a specific intent to kill may be inferred from the fact that the accused used a deadly weapon to inflict injury on a vital part of the victim’s body.

The foregoing is the fundamental law that applies to homicides everywhere in Pennsylvania. Everywhere except, it appears, in District Attorney Larry Krasner’s Philadelphia.

Last year, Michael White was arrested for the stabbing death of real estate developer Sean Schellenger during a scuffle in Rittenhouse Square. The prosecution alleged that White had fatally stabbed Schellenger in the back as the two fought. Accordingly, White was properly charged with first-degree murder.

But then District Attorney Krasner withdrew the first-degree murder charge. Despite the clear inference of murderous intent raised by White’s use of a knife on a vital part of Schellenger’s body, Krasner stated that his office did not have enough evidence to prove first-degree murder. This questionable decision left the severely reduced charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Last Friday, on the eve of trial, Krasner filed a motion requesting the court’s permission to drop the third-degree murder charge and proceed solely on manslaughter. In the motion, Krasner wrote that he believes a jury could accept that White stabbed Schellenger “under a sudden or intense passion from serious provocation or acting in unreasonable self-defense” and could find him guilty of voluntary manslaughter, but that those elements would be a legal defense to third-degree murder.

“The district attorney’s strategic and policy-based decision is that the most likely way to secure a just conviction for this killing is to proceed to trial with a lead charge of voluntary manslaughter,” Krasner wrote.

As with Krasner’s dropping of the first-degree murder charge, his motion bypasses the inconvenient truth that the prosecution’s evidence legally warrants a murder charge. While it might be easier for the prosecution to convict White of manslaughter than murder, that is no justification for not going to trial on the legally supported charge of murder. And the fact that defense counsel might argue that White acted under “passion from serious provocation” or in “unreasonable self-defense” is no reason for the prosecution to peremptorily surrender by dropping the murder charge.

Linda Schellenger, the victim’s mother, urged the court to deny Krasner’s ill-conceived motion and to keep the murder charge in the case. “Let the jury decide,” she said.

Linda Schellenger, the victim’s mother.

She is absolutely correct. The alleged facts more than justify prosecuting White for first-degree (much less third-degree) murder, and the jury should be afforded the option of so deciding. After hearing all the evidence and the court’s instructions on the law of homicide, if the jury then wants to return a verdict of murder, manslaughter, or acquittal, it may do so. But the option of convicting for murder should not be denied the jury because the prosecution is reluctant to put up a fight or because defense counsel might present a defense.

On Monday, the court granted Krasner’s motion, and the murder charge was withdrawn. So now, having done the defense’s job for it, Krasner’s office will proceed to trial on the manslaughter charge alone. This is a disgrace.

Krasner has made clear that he does not want to overcharge defendants. That is a proper goal provided the charging decision is governed by the evidence and the law.

But to set aside the law and the evidence in order to undercharge a defendant as a matter of ease or convenience for the prosecution or because defense counsel might make a countervailing argument at trial is a gross dereliction of Krasner’s duty to the citizens of Philadelphia. And Krasner’s outrageous undercharging of Michael White once again raises the troubling questions of whose side is he on, and how much longer can Philadelphia afford to have a district attorney who proudly describes himself as a “public defender with power”?

George Parry is a former federal and state prosecutor. He is a regular contributor to the American Spectator and blogs at knowledgeisgood.net. Kignet@outlook.com.