The Dispute Index

Katherine Ernst

Philadelphia assistant district attorney who joined the District Attorney's Office's Federal Habeas Unit in 2022 and later served as chief of its Law Division. She previously handled appeals at the Montgomery County Public Defender's Office and federal habeas cases in private practice.

What we have documented

We have documented 2 statements by Katherine Ernst, in 1 case. Each statement below gives the quotation, its original source and a link to the full case.

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Statements by Katherine Ernst

Katherine Ernst

Role at the time: Assistant district attorney, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office (resigned October 6, 2026; message co-signed with Steven Wildberger)

Condemned

Response to this claim

Krasner and Stiegler pressured Conviction Integrity Unit prosecutors to blame a departed colleague for errors and to present a false narrative to the court about the DAO's internal handling of Dennis Johnson's habeas petition -- conduct that "is tantamount to a prima facie showing" of false statements, false declarations under oath, perjury, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy.

“Your actions make it impossible for us to continue to represent the Commonwealth”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Two Philadelphia prosecutors resign after dispute with Krasner · The Philadelphia InquirerParagraphs beginning: Two assistant district attorneys; resignation effective late Tuesday
Why we used this label

Ernst says Krasner's own conduct, including how his court filings described her and Wildberger, left them unable to keep working for the office. That criticizes Krasner's conduct in the matter the case examines, so the label is condemns.

Read statementFull case: Did Larry Krasner Pressure Staff to Mislead a Federal Judge About a Murder-Conviction Appeal?

Katherine Ernst

Role at the time: Assistant district attorney, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office (memo co-signed with Steven Wildberger)

Condemned

Response to this claim

Krasner and Stiegler pressured Conviction Integrity Unit prosecutors to blame a departed colleague for errors and to present a false narrative to the court about the DAO's internal handling of Dennis Johnson's habeas petition -- conduct that "is tantamount to a prima facie showing" of false statements, false declarations under oath, perjury, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy.

“You were not trying to get to the truth; you simply wanted to deflect blame from Stiegler.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Two prosecutors said if Philly DA Larry Krasner doesn’t retract ‘untrue’ court filings, they will quit · The Philadelphia Inquirer
Why we used this label

Ernst says Krasner sought to shift blame from Stiegler onto Mason, which asserts the conduct the case examines. That is a direct criticism of it, so the label is condemns.

Read statementFull case: Did Larry Krasner Pressure Staff to Mislead a Federal Judge About a Murder-Conviction Appeal?

A participant is a subject of the case. A speaker has a statement documented in it. A commentator has an opinion or editorial documented in it.

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