New Philadelphia DA Names Anti-Police Activist to Transition Team

Coard – a vocal Krasner supporter during the campaign – has compared police departments to slave patrols and represented people accused of killing cops.

Larry Krasner, Philadelphia’s district attorney-elect, has drawn skepticism and even scorn from some corners of law enforcement for his promises to bring radical change to the office.

One member of his newly announced transition team is bound to add to the concern.

Michael Coard, an outspoken defense attorney, activist, and media pundit, will join at least 15 other elected officials, city power brokers, and attorneys in helping Krasner refine his goals and shape his priorities before he assumes office in January.

Coard – a vocal Krasner supporter during the campaign – has compared police departments to slave patrols and represented people accused of killing cops.

The transition team, Krasner said, was designed to include a variety of perspectives. He pointed to the inclusion of Ronald Castille – former Philadelphia district attorney and chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court – as an example of a member whose views are not in lockstep with his.

It does not include any current police, prosecutors, or public defenders – omissions Krasner told Philly.com were intended to avoid sending signals of favoritism.

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