True Bill Talk

Until now, every True Bill Talk episode has gone deep on policy, current events, or the story behind an elected prosecutor's career. This one goes inside the courtroom and takes a close look at jury selection — one of the most consequential and least-examined moments in a trial. Today's guests are Prof. Nancy Marder (Chicago-Kent College of Law), one of the country's leading scholars on the jury,...

District Attorney Jared Williams (Augusta, Georgia) used to spend his Christmas mornings in the local Youth Detention Center. It wasn't because Jared got into trouble - instead, his parents would bring him to the Center to show him the experience of kids who didn't have the advantages he had growing up, and to make sure those children didn't spend the holidays alone. To this day, the perspective J...

In this episode, we're doing something different. I'm speaking with an individual whose job is to hold a national perspective on criminal justice issues:  Nelson Bunn , Executive Director of the National District Attorneys Association, whose mission is to be the "voice of America's prosecutors" and provide training to local prosecutors. I wanted to interview Nelson because the NDAA influences the...

In the last few weeks, I've been hearing questions from prosecutors like when are federal agents immune from state prosecution? Will these cases be tried in federal or state court? What cases should I be aware of as a starting point if this becomes relevant in my community? To answer these questions, I interviewed Professor Nadia Banteka of Florida State University College of Law on True Bill Talk...

Over the past few weeks, two people were killed by federal law enforcement agents in Minneapolis during immigration enforcement actions directed by the Trump White House. In this conversation, we don't delve into immigration policy or whether the shootings are legally justified. Instead, we focus on why and how local prosecutors should investigate allegations of misconduct by federal agents. Local...

DA Dalia Racine of Douglas County, GA is unique in her willingness to be extremely candid about everything from her personal background to what she has learned about crime and humanity from her time as a prosecutor. As you'll hear in this episode, Dalia's career has been shaped by her own experience as a survivor of child sex abuse. But what she went through as a child has made her approach to sex...

Jared grew up in Atlanta in a Jewish family that instilled in him the concept of tikkun olam, or the idea that we each have a role to play in repairing the world. This became the driving force behind his career path---which included years as a federal civil rights prosecutor----and eventually led to founding the Justice Innovation Lab, which uses data to improve public safety while reducing harm....

Memphis has become the center of intense federal law enforcement activity—and the results are more complex than you might expect. The Memphis Safe Task Force issued over 4,000 traffic citations, made more than 1,000 arrests, and conducted 206 firearm seizures in just a couple weeks, creating a dramatic surge that's already stretching thin the community's court systems. In this episode, Shelby Coun...

True Bill Talk 's newest episode takes you inside a Tennessee State Senate Judiciary Committee hearing where state senators examined proposed legislation to eliminate felony murder and accomplice liability in Tennessee. These are complex doctrines with serious implications for people, especially if someone gets involved in a crime that results in another person's death – even if none of the perpet...

Hillary Blout is the Founder and CEO of For the People . A former prosecutor, Hillary has been at the forefront of advocating for prosecutor-initiated re-sentencing (PIR) laws across the country. In this episode, we explore Hillary's compelling personal journey, including her experience growing up in a low-income, high-crime neighborhood. She shares how both her personal and professional backgroun...

Sherry Boston has served as the District Attorney of DeKalb County, Georgia since 2017. But describing her just as a "local DA" doesn't capture her full impact. In addition to her work with us here at VPOPP,  she's active in organizations like her state DA's association and the National Black Prosecutors' Association. She's also the lead plaintiff in a major lawsuit challenging a controversial Geo...

Byron Black was recently executed in Tennessee. This is not your typical capital case, however, because the current local district attorney actually agreed with the defense that Mr. Black's death sentence should be commuted to life in prison. However, the Tennessee Attorney General then took over the appeal and pushed for execution anyway. It's a perfect example of the growing tension between loca...

David Leavitt led the Utah County DA's office for 4 years before being voted out of office in 2022. David spent four years trying to rein in excessive plea deals, questioning his own office's outdated norms, and demanding real checks on police power. His approach earned him an intense backlash, and his 2022 re-election campaign became a referendum on the potential and limits of shaking up the stat...

Recently, with support from Microsoft, VPOPP worked with the Policing Project at NYU School of Law  to produce a  report  about how  artificial intelligence (AI)  tools are impacting the work of prosecutors around the country.  Katie Kinsey , the Policing Project's chief of staff and tech policy counsel, is a leading voice on what AI can do, should do, and will do in the criminal justice system in...

On this episode, Alissa speaks with two women who are reshaping what victim advocacy is and what it could do for our criminal justice system. Rafiah Muhammad-McCormick became an advocate after her son was killed in her backyard. Today, she works with Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty  and  Rodney's Village , a nonprofit that she founded. In addition, Rafiah volunteers as a victim's...

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...

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 discu...

On this episode of  True Bill Talk , Alissa talks with Buncombe County DA Todd Williams about the complexities of prosecutorial discretion, including the death penalty, politics, and his personal beliefs in justice. 

True Bill Talk explores the realities of criminal prosecution in America. Each episode features in-depth  conversations with prosecutors, policy experts, and advocates with diverse perspectives on the challenges and responsibilities of prosecution. Hosted by Alissa Marque Heydari of the Vanderbilt Project on Prosecution Policy.