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Columnist: Black Community 'Expected More' From Seth Williams

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - In the aftermath of corruption charges being filed against Seth Williams, columnist and radio host Solomon Jones accused Philadelphia's District Attorney of letting down the city's African American community during an interview with Dom Giordano on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT.

 

"We expected more. We expected that when you had a black District Attorney that he would treat us fairly. I don't think anybody is asking for anything extra. I don't think anybody is asking for more than anyone else, but I do think we are asking for fair treatment. So, we suffered disproportionately from stop and frisk. We're more likely to be arrested. Once arrested, more likely to be sentenced more harshly. All of these things that happen in the criminal justice system, there is a racial overtone to these things, so we hoped that by having the first black District Attorney, some of these things would change."

Kenney: Philly DA 'Should Resign' Following Corruption Charges

Jones, who writes for Daily News, also referenced the charges Williams filed against a group of politicians that then Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane chose not to pursue and accused him of trying to exploit the situation to advance his career.

"I thought, and many people thought, that Seth Williams was setting himself up to run for Attorney General, for higher office, and certainly he had the right to do that. I think that he was well on the way to doing that. I think had this thing not happened, his career would have continued to rise. But I think that looking into this high profile case, that it was the kind of case that makes a prosecutor's career. I absolutely think there was political gain."

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