Richard Chew is joined by Alexandra Natapoff, Harvard Law School professor and co-editor of "America Unfinished: 250 Years of Law and Governance" (2026).

Natapoff discussed her return to teaching (Harvard's school year starts this week) and the challenges faced by law students in today's complex legal landscape. She highlighted the significant role of misdemeanors in the U.S. criminal justice system, noting that 80 percent of all criminal cases are misdemeanors. (She previously authored the book "Punishment Without Crime: How Our Massive Misdemeanor System Traps the Innocent and Makes America More Unequal.") Natapoff also discussed the impact of prosecutorial decisions on individuals' lives and the need for more thoughtful and less adversarial approaches to legal disputes.

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

Follow us:

Website: https://heartlandsignal.com

WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820

Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandSignal

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heartlandsignal 

Heartland Signal X: https://x.com/HeartlandSignal

WCPT 820 X: https://x.com/WCPT820

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartlandsignal

Threads: threads.com/@heartlandsignal

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heartlandsignal