The United States' criminal justice system is highly technical and complex. With various burdens of proof, appeals courts, and legal remedies, it seems odd that the president could simply bypass the whole system. Trump's presidential pardons have become a hot-button topic of late but many of the conversations ignore an important element: the purpose of pardons. To understand why pardons exist and how they function in American democracy, I sit down with UCLA professor Mark Greenberg. Some of his writing on pardons has been published in major news outlets and I highlight recommend you read those if you are interested in this topic. Stay tuned...