--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Supreme Court held that you can be…" description: "\"“Supreme Court held that you can be convicted and imprisoned for committing a crime even if you had no criminal intent and absolutely no knowledge that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/james-duane-12142_crime_supreme-court-held-that-you-can-be-convi_1828972.jpg" --- # Supreme Court held that you can be convicted and… ![“Supreme Court held that you can be convicted and imprisoned for committing a crime even if you had no criminal intent and absolutely no knowledge that your conduct was forbidden by any law.” quote by James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/james-duane-12142_crime_supreme-court-held-that-you-can-be-convi_1828972.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/james-duane-12142_crime_supreme-court-held-that-you-can-be-convi_1828972.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/james-duane-12142_crime_supreme-court-held-that-you-can-be-convi_1828972.jpg) > ““Supreme Court held that you can be convicted and imprisoned for committing a crime even if you had no criminal intent and absolutely no knowledge that your conduct was forbidden by any law.”” [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person can be punished for an act that is illegal even if they lacked intent or knowledge of the law. **In simple terms:** Ignorance is not a defense. Key Takeaway Know the law to avoid unintended crimes. Themes law responsibility intent Mood cautious serious Type legal educational When to use this quote - business compliance - personal conduct - education - risk assessment Key Concepts criminal liability mens rea strict liability Questions to Reflect On - Do you understand the legal expectations in your field? - How can you protect yourself from inadvertent violations? A Different Perspective Legal systems vary on strict liability; some require proof of intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Convicted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convicted/) [Convicted Imprisoned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convicted-imprisoned-2257474/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Criminal Intent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-intent-1420455/) [Forbidden Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forbidden-law-882150/) [Held Convicted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/held-convicted-2257473/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) ## Related quotes > ['Criminal Intent' scripts are very good. Like others involved in 'Law & Order' stuff, I've come to appreciate the lack of 'soap,' if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamey-sheridan/criminal-intent-scripts-are-very-good-like-others-involved-in-law/) [Jamey Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamey-sheridan/) > [There can be no criminal intent in resisting injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/there-can-be-no-criminal-intent-in-resisting-injustice/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [I categorically declare first my absolute innocence, second my lack of criminal intent, and third my effusive apologies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-vance/i-categorically-declare-first-my-absolute-innocence-second-my-lack-of/) [Jack Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-vance/) > [I did an episode of 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' with Jeff Goldblum, which was fun because I've known him for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-macchio/i-did-an-episode-of-law-order-criminal-intent-with-jeff-goldblum/) [Ralph Macchio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-macchio/) > [In the state of nature, wrong-doing is impossible; or, if anyone does wrong, it is to himself, not to another. For no one by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/in-the-state-of-nature-wrong-doing-is-impossible-or-if-anyone-does/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“People have a right to do anything that's not forbidden by law, and there's no law against lying to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/people-have-a-right-to-do-anything-that-s-not-forbidden-by-law-and/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“Poverty can be brought about by law; it cannot be forbidden by law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-paterson/poverty-can-be-brought-about-by-law-it-cannot-be-forbidden-by-law/) [Isabel Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-paterson/) > [Love cannot be forbidden its against the law if two people love each other they have to see each other and talk to each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-cannot-be-forbidden-its-against-the-law-if-two-people-love-each/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is nothing in my teachings to the Church or in those of my associates, during the time specified, which can be reasonably construed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/there-is-nothing-in-my-teachings-to-the-church-or-in-those-of-my/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) > [“In all the interviews I have done, I cannot remember one offender who did not admit privately to more victims than those for whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-all-the-interviews-i-have-done-i-cannot-remember-one-offender-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I'm not throwing you away! I'm setting you free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleatha-romig/i-m-not-throwing-you-away-i-m-setting-you-free/) [Aleatha Romig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleatha-romig/) > [You do not have to be convicted or even charged of a crime to be able to demonstrate that you've violated a personal conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-goodell/you-do-not-have-to-be-convicted-or-even-charged-of-a-crime-to-be-able/) [Roger Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-goodell/) > [“I'd make you my favorite jungle gym if you'd let me.' - Katrina, 'Convicted”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-tenorio/i-d-make-you-my-favorite-jungle-gym-if-you-d-let-me-katrina-convicted/) [Dee Tenorio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-tenorio/) > [“Sweetheart, I’ll be a Marine ‘til they bury my cold, dead, decrepit ass in the ground a good fifty or sixty years from now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-tenorio/sweetheart-i-ll-be-a-marine-til-they-bury-my-cold-dead-decrepit-ass/) [Dee Tenorio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-tenorio/) > [Victims want to know that the true perpetrators of their crime are convicted - legal aid helps achieve this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/victims-want-to-know-that-the-true-perpetrators-of-their-crime-are/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) ## More by James Duane > [“And after Salinas, as we have seen, that means that you cannot simply remain mute in the face of police questioning, but rather must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/and-after-salinas-as-we-have-seen-that-means-that-you-cannot-simply/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“Memorize these two questions so you will not be tempted to answer any others:   Who are you? What are you doing right here,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/memorize-these-two-questions-so-you-will-not-be-tempted-to-answer-any/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“If you give the police information that turns out to be inaccurate, and the police mistakenly believe that you were lying to them on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/if-you-give-the-police-information-that-turns-out-to-be-inaccurate/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“As we can see from all these cases, a promise from the police to give you “help” is the most useless and worthless promise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/as-we-can-see-from-all-these-cases-a-promise-from-the-police-to-give/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“In every one of these cases, the police ignored the suspect’s tentative and mealymouthed expressions of interest in a lawyer, persisted in their questioning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/in-every-one-of-these-cases-the-police-ignored-the-suspect-s/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“Because of the matrix of rampant horrors often described as overcriminalization, it is no longer possible for you to rely on your own conscience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/because-of-the-matrix-of-rampant-horrors-often-described-as/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“The Supreme Court justices are able to decide fewer than 1 percent of all the appeals”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/the-supreme-court-justices-are-able-to-decide-fewer-than-1-percent-of/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“I told her to send the agent a letter, explaining that she would be happy to consider answering any questions he might have, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/i-told-her-to-send-the-agent-a-letter-explaining-that-she-would-be/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“If you simply say nothing in the face of police questions, unless you are in custody and under arrest, your silence can and will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/if-you-simply-say-nothing-in-the-face-of-police-questions-unless-you/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“Instead mention your Sixth Amendment right to a lawyer, and tell the police that you want a lawyer. Is that honest? Not entirely, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/instead-mention-your-sixth-amendment-right-to-a-lawyer-and-tell-the/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“Miranda warnings, written by the Supreme Court a long time ago, which require arresting officers to advise the suspect that, among other things, “anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/miranda-warnings-written-by-the-supreme-court-a-long-time-ago-which/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“powerful phenomenon that psychologists call confirmation bias. This means that after they have come to a conclusion, especially if it is a conclusion that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/powerful-phenomenon-that-psychologists-call-confirmation-bias-this/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“the police are only doing what they were trained to do, and what they are constantly encouraged to do by the courts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/the-police-are-only-doing-what-they-were-trained-to-do-and-what-they/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“As we will see, there are many different ways that the mere act of talking to the police can get you in a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/as-we-will-see-there-are-many-different-ways-that-the-mere-act-of/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) > [“You can also go to prison for up to six months for the unauthorized use of the character or the name Woodsy Owl for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/you-can-also-go-to-prison-for-up-to-six-months-for-the-unauthorized/) [James Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) [Explore all 56 James Duane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/) ## More Convicted quotes > [“In all the interviews I have done, I cannot remember one offender who did not admit privately to more victims than those for whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-all-the-interviews-i-have-done-i-cannot-remember-one-offender-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sweetheart, I’ll be a Marine ‘til they bury my cold, dead, decrepit ass in the ground a good fifty or sixty years from now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-tenorio/sweetheart-i-ll-be-a-marine-til-they-bury-my-cold-dead-decrepit-ass/) [Dee Tenorio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-tenorio/) > [“I'd make you my favorite jungle gym if you'd let me.' - Katrina, 'Convicted”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-tenorio/i-d-make-you-my-favorite-jungle-gym-if-you-d-let-me-katrina-convicted/) [Dee Tenorio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-tenorio/) > [You do not have to be convicted or even charged of a crime to be able to demonstrate that you've violated a personal conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-goodell/you-do-not-have-to-be-convicted-or-even-charged-of-a-crime-to-be-able/) [Roger Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-goodell/) > [Victims want to know that the true perpetrators of their crime are convicted - legal aid helps achieve this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/victims-want-to-know-that-the-true-perpetrators-of-their-crime-are/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [“I'm not throwing you away! I'm setting you free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleatha-romig/i-m-not-throwing-you-away-i-m-setting-you-free/) [Aleatha Romig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleatha-romig/) > [If he is convicted, Dr. Kevorkian says he will die a martyr's death by going on a hunger strike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/if-he-is-convicted-dr-kevorkian-says-he-will-die-a-martyr-s-death-by/) [Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/) > [With the advent of DNA, we know that people have been convicted and sentenced to death who later proved not to be guilty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/with-the-advent-of-dna-we-know-that-people-have-been-convicted-and/) [Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/) > [“Two other highly vocal FMSF Advisory Board members are Dr Elizabeth Loftus and Professor Richard Ofshe. Loftus is a respected academic psychologist whose much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-sinason/two-other-highly-vocal-fmsf-advisory-board-members-are-dr-elizabeth/) [Valerie Sinason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-sinason/) > [The person who has been convicted has served their time. Why would we continue to punish and exclude them from housing and jobs? Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-burton/the-person-who-has-been-convicted-has-served-their-time-why-would-we/) [Susan Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-burton/) > [I've never been disbarred, committed or convicted of moral turpitude, and the only time I was arrested, it was a case of mistaken identity...I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-levine/i-ve-never-been-disbarred-committed-or-convicted-of-moral-turpitude/) [Paul Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-levine/) > [“The witch-hunt narrative is a really popular story that goes like this: Lots of people were falsely convicted of child sexual abuse in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-cheit/the-witch-hunt-narrative-is-a-really-popular-story-that-goes-like/) [Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) > [The drunkard is convicted by his praises of wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/the-drunkard-is-convicted-by-his-praises-of-wine/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [In our criminal justice system, we say it's better for 10 guilty people to go free than for even one innocent person to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/in-our-criminal-justice-system-we-say-it-s-better-for-10-guilty/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [I am here wrongfully convicted and wrongfully sentenced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-snow/i-am-here-wrongfully-convicted-and-wrongfully-sentenced/) [Lorenzo Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-snow/) [Browse all 57 Convicted quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convicted/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Supreme Court held that you can be convicted and imprisoned for committing a crime even if you had no criminal intent and absolutely no knowledge that your conduct was forbidden by any law.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Duane" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/supreme-court-held-that-you-can-be-convicted-and-imprisoned-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Convicted" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/supreme-court-held-that-you-can-be-convicted-and-imprisoned-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/james-duane-12142_crime_supreme-court-held-that-you-can-be-convi_1828972.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/james-duane-12142_crime_supreme-court-held-that-you-can-be-convi_1828972.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/james-duane-12142_crime_supreme-court-held-that-you-can-be-convi_1828972.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Supreme Court held that you can be convicted and imprisoned for committing a crime even if you had no…” — James Duane", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Duane", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-duane/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Supreme Court held that you can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/supreme-court-held-that-you-can-be-convicted-and-imprisoned-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-duane/supreme-court-held-that-you-can-be-convicted-and-imprisoned-for/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```