On April 28, 2025, the Trump Administration issued an executive order aimed broadly at local law enforcement -- but one section stood out. Section 5 of the Order represents a statement of how the Administration intends to get involved in decisions made by local prosecutors. In this special episode of True Bill Talk, we invite two well-known criminal justice scholars – Professors Carissa Hessick (UNC School of Law) and Brenner Fissell (Villanova Law) — for a deep dive into the language of the executive order, its legal basis, and its political context.

Torry Johnson was the District Attorney of Davidson County, Tennessee for 26 years. In this conversation, Torry shared his thoughts about the so-called "progressive prosecutor" movement, the right-ward shift in Tennessee's politics, and how he thinks about the role of the DA when the job has become heavily politicized.

Larry Krasner, the Philadelphia District Attorney since 2017, has become something of a lightning rod and is now one of the most well-known prosecutors in the entire country. Larry and two of his line prosecutors were recently in Nashville to visit Vanderbilt Law School and speak with our students about careers in prosecution. While they were in town, we recorded this interview in which they discussed their work and views on the criminal justice system - and some of what they shared will surprise you.