The warrant against Democratic state representative Rep. Kevin Boyle was withdrawn because police and prosecutors determined that there was no active protective order in place at the time of the alleged violation.
District Attorney Larry Krasner stated that the warrant request contained information that was not false or fake, but had “a piece missing.” He confirmed that the protective order in question had expired prior to the dates being investigated, leading to the withdrawal of the warrant.
Boyle, who faces a primary opponent in his bid for an eighth term, had previously been stripped of a committee chairmanship and Capitol access privileges due to an incident at a bar. In response to his remote voting amid the warrant issue, Pennsylvania House Democratic leaders proposed a process to evaluate the incapacitation of state representatives and consider appropriate sanctions or expulsion.
Boyle was charged three years ago with harassment and violation of a protection from abuse order, but the charges were later dropped. His attorney at the time characterized it as a “domestic issue” without allegations of violence. Boyle has since sought treatment at a mental health facility.
The withdrawal of the warrant and the upcoming primary election have garnered significant attention, especially given the precarious majority held by Kevin Boyle and fellow House Democrats in the Pennsylvania House.
