Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner demands removal of judge who accused him of crimes

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner submitted a series of filings denouncing U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond's suggestion that he may have engaged in criminal conspiracy, calling the accusations baseless and akin to "fever-dream conspiracy theories." Krasner labeled the judge's analysis as unsupported, illogical and employing "Orwellian" language, and warned that such statements could constitute defamation if made outside judicial proceedings.

He further asserted that Diamond acted more like an advocate against Krasner, citing biased questioning of witnesses, selective credibility judgments, and attempts to avoid Krasner's testimony. The controversy centers on the effort to overturn Dennis Johnson's 2009 murder conviction, a case that Diamond referred to the U.S. Attorney's Office for possible investigation. Krasner contends that his office was merely correcting earlier errors and that the judge's conclusions are unfounded, urging his recusal from this and any future cases involving the DA's office.