Primary Profile: D.A. Candidate Seth Williams

Philadelphia voters head to the polls in less than a week for the May 19th primary election. Five Democrats and one Republican are vying to be the city’s next District Attorney. Today we complete our series of profiles of the candidates to find out what separates them on the controversial issues.

Philadelphia voters head to the polls in less than a week for the May 19th primary election. Five Democrats and one Republican are vying to be the city’s next District Attorney. Today we complete our series of profiles of the candidates to find out what separates them on the controversial issues.

Democratic candidate Seth Williams was raised by adoptive parents in West Philadelphia, where he still lives. He ran for D.A. in 2005, went on to serve as the city’s Inspector General, and now works at a Center City law firm.

Williams says as D.A. he would go after municipal corruption because he believes there’s an erosion of public trust when people believe politicians or “people who know people,” can get away with crimes.

Williams: We will not have a different standard of law if you work in City Hall, or if you work in Liberty Place, or if you are just a person who lives in Southwest Philadelphia. If you violate the law we will prosecute you.

Williams says he’s also ready to confront the crime and budget challenges facing the next District Attorney.

Williams: Through community based prosecution I will be assigning the District Attorneys to represent and to handle cases from specific neighborhoods and they’ll handle those cases vertically – they won’t pass them off every time there’s a different listing. I think this will make the office more efficient, it will cut down on the amount of cases that get thrown out.

Williams says in his ideal world the death penalty would not exist but for now it should only be used for the most heinous crimes.