Exploring the Controversies of Presidential Pardons

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: pardon interruption.

What’s the purpose of the presidential pardon? Well, depends on who you ask — hypothetically, it’s meant for course-correction and honoring restorative justice. But presidents on both ends of the spectrum have used it for purposes that are distinctly not that. So do we need the pardon or do we need to get rid of it… and either way, what’s next?

Kim Wehle joins us once again to talk about her new book, Pardon Power.

Hear Me Out ends next week. So, before then, please feel free to email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie.

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