The role of prosecutors in the criminal justice system is a central theme in the two podcast episodes provided.

In the first episode, the podcast examines the progressive prosecutor movement, where elected prosecutors take a less punitive approach to criminal justice. It explores whether this approach has worked in reducing incarceration and crime, as well as the backlash it has faced from tough-on-crime critics and Republican state legislatures seeking to curb prosecutorial discretion.

The second episode discusses how conservative justices on the Supreme Court raised concerns about prosecutors having overly broad power under the obstruction law to crack down on protests, specifically in the context of the January 6th Capitol attack.