Thurgood Marshall Quotes

When I was a prosecutor in Kansas City, my job was to fight for justice and safety for all citizens in my community. Equal access to justice under the law is an American value embedded in the fabric of our legal and political system - the idea that anybody, powerful or not, can have their day in court.

Every American deserves their day in court. Every American is innocent until proven guilty. These are core values enshrined in our founding document - the United States Constitution.

Everybody has a right to be defended, and every lawyer has a duty to defend people accused. And my office is to defend him, to discuss the accusation point by point, as I think this is a normal step in a democracy.

They Should Have Their Day In Court

For the common man the justice meted out in the lower courts is much more important than that meted out in the Supreme Court.

Legal aid is crucial in ensuring those truly guilty of crimes are convicted after due process, and those innocent are able to clear their names, by ensuring that access to legal representation is available for everyone, regardless of ability to pay.

A defendant on trial for a specific crime is entitled to his day in court, not in a stadium or a city or nationwide arena.

Anyone can be falsely accused of a crime. Everyone accused of a crime deserves a fair trial.

All lawyers are the natural enemies of the police.

A fair judicial system takes time to work.

No person should suffer … without being brought to answer by due course and process of law

God forbid that the defendant should not be allowed the benefit of every advantage he is entitled to by law.

There's nothing wrong with crooks having lawyers. Everyone is entitled to a lawyer.

In Malaysia, trials have always been fair.

A bedrock principle of our justice system is ensuring a fair day in court, something that is especially important for children who cannot advocate for themselves.

The entire legal system was built upon the assumption that people would have adequate representation. When they don't, the system fails, and the laws don't matter.

When a man hangs from a tree it doesn't spell justice unless he helped write the law that hanged him.

Whatever disagreement there may be as to the scope of the phrase "due process of law" there can be no doubt that it embraces the fundamental conception of a fair trial, with opportunity to be heard.

Due process is a growth too sturdy to succumb to the infection of the least ingredient of error.

From the very beginning, our state and national constitutions and laws have laid great emphasis on procedural and substantive safeguards designed to assure fair trials before impartial tribunals in which every defendant stands equal before the law. This noble ideal cannot be realized if the poor man charged with crime has to face his accusers without a lawyer to assist him.

Sentence first, verdict afterwards.

It is more dangerous that even a guilty person should be punished without the forms of law than that he should escape.

Wherever they have been arraigned, a plain charge has been exhibited against them. They have had an impartial trial and have been permitted to make their defense.

Delay in justice is injustice.

If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: 'Thou shalt not ration justice.'