Prosecutors in the U.S. criminal justice system wield considerable power, controlling secret grand jury proceedings, choosing who gets tried, and determining the specific charges against people who are arrested. Many credit prosecutors for putting lawbreakers behind bars, lowering the nation’s crime rate, and making communities safer. Critics, however, charge that prosecutors often abuse their power, pressuring defendants to wrongly accept plea bargains, undermining the right to a trial by jury, and fueling public skepticism regarding equal justice. Do prosecutors in the United States have too much power?