Philadelphia's next DA?

During her 21 years in Philadelphia’s District Attorney’s Office, Beth Grossman went after drug dealers, gunslingers, thieves, and blighters. Her most moving reflections during a recent meeting with the Editorial Board showed passion for defending the rights of crime victims, both those who are the objects of criminal acts and those who are trapped in neighborhoods besieged by violence and neglect.

That clear vision of who the district attorney’s clients are makes a compelling case for her candidacy. Her prosecutorial and administrative experience, thoughtfulness, and flexibility seal the deal.

Grossman, 49, of East Falls, is running as a Republican against Democratic nominee Larry Krasner, a civil rights attorney who says he wants to turn the DA’s Office on its head. He rightly argues that it spends too many resources going after the poor and disenfranchised, and not enough on those who victimize Philadelphians. In a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 7-1, he’s the favorite to win.

Krasner began his career as a federal public defender and has been a figure in the city’s social justice movement, representing advocates for gun control, LGBTQ rights, Black Lives Matter, and environmentalists. That commitment is commendable. But voters should be concerned about his lack of prosecutorial experience — and mindset — needed to head an office whose job is to prosecute crime.

In contrast, Grossman is a career prosecutor. She’s worked in every division of the office and has a strong administrative background, having headed divisions within in and served as chief of staff at the Department of Licenses and Inspections.

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