Philly DA Docuseries Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

This 8-part documentary series premieres on PBS this week.  I haven’t seen anything yet other than the trailer but it seems awesome.  In 2018 Philadelphia elected a really progressive DA that has been trying to implement reforms despite serious institutional challenges.  I’m excited to watch it.

I’m hoping we can get a group of us watching and that we can have a more grounded discussion about issues related to criminal justice reform, policing, etc.  Anyway, just putting this out there in case anyone is interested. It seems very timely.

Show description

Trailer

 

[Dickies]

Interested. Will watch

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

Premieres tonight.

Philly DA is like the documentary version of The Wire

 

[The Big Donkey]

its a 9pm EST start - first episode is 9-11.  

 

[GroveDiesel]

Wonder if it will mention that the number of murders and violent crimes in Philly have been climbing and that Philly is on pace this year for the most murders in the city’s history. There are news stories literally every day right now of people being gunned down every single night.

I think some of his ideas are good, but so far results seem to be awful.

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

Wonder if it will mention that the number of murders and violent crimes in Philly have been climbing and that Philly is on pace this year for the most murders in the city’s history. There are news stories literally every day right now of people being gunned down every single night.

I think some of his ideas are good, but so far results seem to be awful.

Having watched the first two episodes, this seems like it will be discussed.  Definitely had a “well-meaning but naive gang tries to change everything but lots of stuff goes wrong” vibe.  It’s pretty tough when you’re the DA and all the cops hate you and your entire office.

 

[rockaction]

Having watched the first two episodes, this seems like it will be discussed.  Definitely had a “well-meaning but naive gang tries to change everything but lots of stuff goes wrong” vibe.  It’s pretty tough when you’re the DA and all the cops hate you and your entire office.

I think the politics involved in municipal settings like that must be so frustrating if you're trying to reform longstanding corruption, abuse, or powers retained. I don't envy that guy at all. I watched the trailers and read up a bit. Sounds like he befriended the wrong people and alienated those he needed to keep close. Sounds like he won with the portion of the population that doesn't want to be policed, people that have a significant overlap with people who want effective reform. That's always a tough line to straddle. Drumming up reform support when the city wants reform is one thing; when half of the city doesn't want policing at all, it's another.

This is happening across the country. The left-wing within black communities (who do not want policing because it is an extension of a corrupt system) have made common cause with the anarchists, and this support makes common cause with liberals because the black community is the liberal constituency. So the numbers surge, and elections are won, but it just seems to lead to ineffective governance and dissatisfaction coming from the people who really vote, the people in the suburbs. This thorny issue with the police is becoming a problem at the municipal and local level, for sure. We've got class, race, and other conditions implicated in the regulation of behavior. Some want decriminalization for everything, some want reform, and it seems the two make an unworkable alliance because they start from contradictory first premises about governance itself. 

 

[Snotbubbles]

I think the politics involved in municipal settings like that must be so frustrating if you're trying to reform longstanding corruption, abuse, or powers retained. I don't envy that guy at all. I watched the trailers and read up a bit. Sounds like he befriended the wrong people and alienated those he needed to keep close. Sounds like he won with the portion of the population that doesn't want to be policed, people that have a significant overlap with people who want effective reform. That's always a tough line to straddle. Drumming up reform support when the city wants reform is one thing; when half of the city doesn't want policing at all, it's another.

This is happening across the country. The left-wing within black communities (who do not want policing because it is an extension of a corrupt system) have made common cause with the anarchists, and this support makes common cause with liberals because the black community is the liberal constituency. So the numbers surge, and elections are won, but it just seems to lead to ineffective governance and dissatisfaction coming from the people who really vote, the people in the suburbs. This thorny issue with the police is becoming a problem at the municipal and local level, for sure. We've got class, race, and other conditions implicated in the regulation of behavior. Some want decriminalization for everything, some want reform, and it seems the two make an unworkable alliance because they start from contradictory first premises about governance itself. 

He's a terrible DA.  That's all I have to say about the guy.  I'm voting Carlos Vega in May during the primaries to get the guy out.

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

Krasner won the primary.

Still recommend this show for those interested in criminal justice reform, I think about it all the time even though I binged it a few weeks ago.