Primary Profile: D.A. Candidate Michael Untermeyer

Republican Michael Untermeyer is the lone GOP candidate running for District Attorney. He was born and raised in New York City. He now lives in Old City and works as a lawyer and real estate developer.

Republican Michael Untermeyer is the lone GOP candidate running for District Attorney. He was born and raised in New York City. He now lives in Old City and works as a lawyer and real estate developer.

Untermeyer says as D.A. he would aggressively pursue municipal corruption cases.

Untermeyer: The only way a District Attorney is going to successfully prosecute municipal corruption is if he’s independent. And I am the only candidate that can truthfully be independent in terms of fighting municipal corruption. It is next to impossible I think for one to be elected by the Democratic machine in this city one day, and the next week or next month, start investigating them.

With budget cuts facing the city’s next District Attorney, Untermeyer says he would take a page from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and form a Development Office within the Philadelphia D.A.’s Office.

Untermeyer: Just as you would have at a university, hospital, Red Cross, and the sole function of that office would be to obtain grant dollars both from federal government, state government, and non-profit charities throughout really the country.

Untermeyer says as D.A. he would double the number of lawyers in the Economic Crimes Unit of the D.A.’s Office and give them more training. He says the investigations often pay for themselves, and he believes it’s important to protect people from economic crimes too.

Untermeyer says the death penalty should be applied in very limited circumstances: specifically in cases involving the death of a police officer, or cases of torture.