Overview
- In a 40-page memorandum issued Sept. 15, U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond disqualified District Attorney Larry Krasner and Conviction Integrity Unit chief Matthew Stiegler from a federal post‑conviction case and sent the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for possible investigation.
- Diamond wrote that the court record contains credible evidence that may amount to federal crimes such as false statements, perjury, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy based on testimony from multiple supervisors in the DA’s office.
- The dispute grew from a 2022 concession filing in Dennis Johnson’s 2009 murder case that supervisors later said contained material misstatements and from testimony that Krasner and Stiegler pressured staff to protect supervisors and shift blame to a subordinate.
- Johnson’s habeas petition is on hold, many law division supervisors have recused themselves, and the judge barred Krasner and Stiegler from any role while the U.S. Attorney decides whether to open a probe or convene a grand jury.
- The ruling deepens scrutiny of Krasner’s Conviction Integrity Unit after recent state-level rebukes, and it could delay or reshape how the office handles other post‑conviction reviews and the lives of defendants seeking relief.