Worth Knowing, Probably Not Quite Threadworthy 9/16

[SVPete]

Judge Diamond *disqualified* Philadelphia DA

https://x.com/AbhiKambli1984/status/2099965404395315651

This is wild and I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a federal judge not only disqualify the DA from participating in a habeas case but referring him for investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. And keep in mind this is all in the context of making false statements to let murderers out of jail.

The State of PA should have investigated Krasner years ago, but Goobernor Shapiro is groveling to prove he's a good Dem, despite being Jewish.

[SVPete]

Whoa: Federal Judge Removes Krasner From Case, Asks DoJ to Investigate Perjury, Obstruction

https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2026/09/16/whoa-federal-judge-removes-krasner-from-case-asks-doj-to-investigate-perjury-obstruction-n3819041

Philly DA Larry Krasner has long made it clear that the only activity he enjoys more than attacking Donald Trump is letting criminals walk free. But did Krasner lie to a federal judge in order to help free a convicted murderer?

Federal Judge Paul Diamond, a Bush appointee, certainly thinks so. In a stunning move, Diamond disqualified Krasner and his top deputy over allegations of potential perjury and obstruction connected to allegations of conflicts of interest in the case of Dennis Johnson, whom Krasner had spent four years trying to spring on a habeas petition. Diamond referred the matter to the Department of Justice for a criminal probe. NBC's Philly affiliate reported the story late yesterday:

The ruling stems from a federal case involving Dennis Johnson, who was convicted in 2009 of killing Kenyatta Smith. In 2022, the District Attorney's Office filed court documents stating that Johnson was entitled to habeas relief based on ineffective assistance of counsel.

Beginning in May, U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond held a series of evidentiary hearings that included testimony about potential conflicts of interest within the District Attorney's Office.
...
Krasner strongly opposed sending the case to the Attorney General's Office, arguing that someone needed to stay involved to "protect the office," and dismissed the suggestion that the Attorney General's Office handle the matter, according to court documents.

The prosecutors responded that protecting the office was itself the conflict because prosecutors should be focused on the merits of the case, not the office's interests.

...
Diamond discusses this in the memorandum accompanying the order, which we will get to shortly:

On June 5, 2026, the District Attorney’s Office moved to withdraw its November 2022 Concession because it contained “material misstatements.” (Doc. No. 118 at 3–4.) Unusually, four ADAs—Katherine Ernst, Steven Wildberger, David Napiorski, and Peter Andrews (“the Four”)—signed the Motion. (Id. at 8.) They explained that under the supervision of ADA Matthew Stiegler, Mason had prepared the Concession. (Id. at 3 n.1.) The Four further stated without explanation that Mason had resigned from the DAO on June 2, 2026. (Id.)

On June 11, 2026, the OAG [Office of the Attorney General - Ed] urged that the DAO’s Withdrawal Motion did not capture all the 2022 Concession’s deficiencies: that the Concession Brief “presented this Court with serious allegations that other attorneys did not fulfill their duty of candor to the tribunal and that the Magistrate Judge relied on those misstatements.” (Doc. No. 119 at 2, 5.) The OAG further charged that the Four had failed to point out “factual and legal errors and omissions” that “had a significant impact” on Judge Sitarski’s analysis. (Id. at 2.)