The tone at the Philadelphia District Attorney Candidates’ Forum on Monday evening at Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law was set when undergraduate student Shahmar Beasley asked the candidates what distinguished them from each other.
All eight candidates running to fill the seat that embattled District Attorney R. Seth Williams is set to vacate attended the event. The discussion touched on a wide range of high-profile issues, from immigration enforcement and stop-and-frisk to Williams’ legal and ethical woes. But, throughout the two-hour event, which was moderated by Thomas R. Kline, the candidates continually sought to distinguish themselves in a race that is increasingly centered on two issues: public integrity and the expansion of diversionary programs.
