With a surge of nearly 700 criminal cases opened in less than a week since the advent of protests in Philadelphia sparked by the death of George Floyd, District Attorney Larry Krasner and a recently assembled collective of defense attorneys say these cases are going to be handled differently than they’ve been in the past during periods of large-scale unrest.

Krasner said his office is aiming to focus prosecutions on looters, and is rapidly poring over written and cellphone evidence in an effort to bring cases only when charges are warranted. Each charging decision, Krasner said, will be handled on a case-by-case basis, and his office will not look to “crush with big and unsustainable charges.”