--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Start with the observation that American…" description: "\"“Start with the observation that American law is not designed to catch and punish every instance of illegal conduct. Nothing short of a totalitarian st..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/dale-carpenter-59590_2012_start-with-the-observation-that-american_226316.jpg" --- # Start with the observation that American law is not… ![“Start with the observation that American law is not designed to catch and punish every instance of illegal conduct. Nothing short of a totalitarian state could do that. It is designed to prosecute persons when there is a reasonable basis for believing they have committed a crime, and then to…” quote by Dale Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/dale-carpenter-59590_2012_start-with-the-observation-that-american_226316.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/dale-carpenter-59590_2012_start-with-the-observation-that-american_226316.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/dale-carpenter-59590_2012_start-with-the-observation-that-american_226316.jpg) > ““Start with the observation that American law is not designed to catch and punish every instance of illegal conduct. Nothing short of a totalitarian state could do that. It is designed to prosecute persons when there is a reasonable basis for believing they have committed a crime, and then to convict them when there is no reasonable doubt that they are guilty.”” [Dale Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carpenter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American law aims to prosecute only when reasonable evidence exists, not to punish every illegal act. **In simple terms:** Law targets reasonable cases, not all crimes. Key Takeaway Focus on evidence‑based prosecution. Themes law justice evidence prosecution limits Mood serious analytical Type legal philosophical When to use this quote - criminal trials - policy making - law enforcement - public debate Key Concepts legal theory rule of law due process Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance safety with civil liberties? - What defines “reasonable basis” in practice? A Different Perspective Total surveillance cannot replace nuanced legal standards. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [2012](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-2012-607/) [American law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-law/) [Designed Prosecute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/designed-prosecute-2301212/) [Illegal Conduct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal-conduct-2301211/) [Jurisprudence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jurisprudence/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Police state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-state/) [Prosecute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosecute/) [Prosecute Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosecute-persons-2301210/) [Reasonable doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasonable-doubt/) ## Related quotes > [We have witnessed the most educated, successful, and monied professionals in the country put their companies - not to mention their own liberty -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preet-bharara/we-have-witnessed-the-most-educated-successful-and-monied/) [Preet Bharara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preet-bharara/) > [“Police throughout the United States have been caught fabricating, planting, and manipulating evidence to obtain convictions where cases would otherwise be very weak. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carpenter/police-throughout-the-united-states-have-been-caught-fabricating/) [Dale Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carpenter/) > [“If citizens cannot trust that laws will be enforced in an evenhanded and honest fashion, they cannot be said to live under the rule…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carpenter/if-citizens-cannot-trust-that-laws-will-be-enforced-in-an-evenhanded/) [Dale Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carpenter/) > [Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation… Notwithstanding the military establishments in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/besides-the-advantage-of-being-armed-which-the-americans-possess-over/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Expedience, not justice, is the rule of contemporary American law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/expedience-not-justice-is-the-rule-of-contemporary-american-law/) [Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/) > [It's important to every American that the law protect his or her basic liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/it-s-important-to-every-american-that-the-law-protect-his-or-her/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Law is a process. 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Tarehe hiyo kitu kikubwa sana kitatokea katika dunia yetu kitakachosababisha tetemeko kubwa la ardhi, litakalosababishwa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/wanasayansi-wanaamini-kuwa-yesu-atarudi-tarehe-29-julai-2016-tarehe/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [I told the American people that I'd cut taxes for middle class families, and I did. I told you I'd cut taxes for small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-told-the-american-people-that-i-d-cut-taxes-for-middle-class/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“OK, publishing a book and releasing a movie is all very well, but Tottenham beating Man. U. 3-2... priceless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/ok-publishing-a-book-and-releasing-a-movie-is-all-very-well-but/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“The English feel schadenfreude even about themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/the-english-feel-schadenfreude-even-about-themselves/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“Romney sounds like he wants to be the nice uncle in a sitcom, Santorum sounds like he wants to be a twelfth-century archbishop, Gingrich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/romney-sounds-like-he-wants-to-be-the-nice-uncle-in-a-sitcom-santorum/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [“Your Treasure House is in yourself, it contains all you need”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hui-hai/your-treasure-house-is-in-yourself-it-contains-all-you-need/) [Hui Hai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hui-hai/) > [“When one star sets, a million spring forth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-lowry/when-one-star-sets-a-million-spring-forth/) [Vincent Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-lowry/) > [“There´s something about you and I´m finding it impossible to stay away”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james-3/there-s-something-about-you-and-i-m-finding-it-impossible-to-stay-away/) [E.L James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james-3/) > [“Spanish rain, A maiden’s dress, Apothecary pills And ancient thrills; Melancholy kills A girl’s caress. (—Roman Payne; Valencia, Spain, November 2nd 2012)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/spanish-rain-a-maiden-s-dress-apothecary-pills-and-ancient-thrills/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“Seeing what someone's reading is like seeing the first derivative of their thinking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-casnocha/seeing-what-someone-s-reading-is-like-seeing-the-first-derivative-of/) [Ben Casnocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-casnocha/) > [What now Bitches ?! its 2012 and I'm still living <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-original-3/what-now-bitches-its-2012-and-i-m-still-living-3/) [An Original <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-original-3/) [Browse all 49 2012 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-2012-607/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Start with the observation that American law is not designed to catch and punish every instance of illegal conduct. 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