Attorney Larry Krasner poised to announce run for Philly DA

Larry Krasner, a lawyer perhaps best known for his work defending members of protest groups arrested in Philadelphia, appears poised to announce a run for Philadelphia district attorney.

An emailed press release noted his 30 years’ experience as a defense attorney and work with members of groups like Occupy Philly, ACT-UP and Black Lives Matter. The email cryptically states that he will declare his “intentions” regarding the race on Wednesday at PhillyCAM, a public access TV studio in downtown Philly.

Krasner, a partner at lawfirm Krasner & Long, has publicly admonished DA Seth Williams for failing to move swiftly enough to dump police officers who gained a reputation for perjuring themselves on the stand. He did not immediately respond to a call for comment.

Krasner has been rumored as a possible contender for a race that has already drawn five challengers, largely due to Williams’ high-profile ethical entanglements and perceived vulnerability. Other sources have continued talking up a late entrance by former Common Pleas Court Judge Renee Cardwell Hughes, while associates of State Rep. Joanna McClinton have launched a petition to draft her as yet another candidate.

Williams has publicly encouraged the competition, which historically has given incumbents with name recognition an edge as protest votes wind up split between opponents.

"The more the merrier," Williams told the Inquirer, regarding the increasingly crowded field.

One of the biggest undecided factors in the race will be the backing of the Fraternal Order of Police , which is both deep-pocketed and one of Williams’ fiercest critics. But FOP president John McNesby recently had it out with Krasner (and Williams, for that matter) over his defense of former Philadelphia Eagle LeSean McCoy, charged in a brawl with two off-duty cops.

McNesby described the idea of Krasner’s possible candidacy as “hilarious” but said the jury was still out on which candidate would receive the police union’s backing.

The deadline to file nominating petitions ahead of a run for office is March 7. The primaries are May 16.