District Attorney Larry Krasner said his office would respond to the pandemic by seeking no-bail detention for most nonviolent offenses or misdemeanors. He also had urged the police to exercise discretion in charging to avoid jail overcrowding, particularly given fears that crowded jails will be unable to separate prisoners as needed to stop the spread of the virus.
Krasner indicated his office might seek to detain some defendants so a judge could consider additional conditions of release, such as electronic monitoring for house arrest. Court spokespersons did not respond to questions about how many monitors remain available, if any.
Over the weekend, Philadelphia police were still arresting people for charges like drug possession and retail theft, despite these growing concerns.
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