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by cosmie 2150 days ago
This DA isn't reliant on the Philly police department for enforcement - he's in one of the few states where DAs have their own law enforcement officers on staff[1].

The "D.A. detectives" referenced in the article are key to his stance, as they're employees directly under his control that are recognized by the state as equivalent to and having the same authority as a normal police officer.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_detective

2 comments

In Ohio we have an antique provision for the county prosecutor to employ their own investigators. They're not quite the same thing PA has, though. See Section 309.07 of the Ohio Revised Code here: http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/309.07v1
the detectives referenced in the article are just a loud da posturing. it's the special operations division, and all they can do is launch a probe -not enforce anything, or arrest anyone.

just because you have a secretary employed by you doesn't mean she's allowed to rewire your electric because you tell her. if the detectives try to actually arrest police or feds, they themselves would be arrested. by the police and the feds.

this da is simply on a power grab, just like trump, while accusing trump of a power grab. 2 monkeys throwing poop at each other in a war about how different they are.

At that point, it's state violence against state violence and what practically happens depends on who brings a bigger gun.

... but the spectacle of CBP officers (and hired mercenaries) and Philadelphia D.A. officers shooting it out might clue some people into precisely how off-the-rails this federal administration has become.