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Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

The movement to transform the role of the prosecutor

Prosecutors wield the most power in the American criminal justice system -- more than police officers and judges.

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By Madeleine Brand • Jun 11, 2019 • 1 min read

Prosecutors wield the most power in the American criminal justice system -- more than police officers and judges. They decide whether to indict, then whether to demand bail and how much, then whether to offer a plea deal and what that deal looks like.

In death penalty cases, prosecutors decide who they think should live and who should die. If they make a mistake, for example, not turning over key evidence that could have helped prove a person’s innocence, they rarely face any kind of punishment. A new book focuses on the power of the prosecutor: "Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration."

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    Madeleine Brand

    Host, 'Press Play'

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    Sarah Sweeney

    Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

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    Michell Eloy

    Line Editor, Press Play

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    Alexandra Sif Tryggvadottir

    Associate producer

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    Emily Bazelon

    Staff writer, New York Times; co-host, Slate Political Gabfest podcast

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Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand