--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But I really think it's a very…" description: "\"But I really think it's a very unfortunate part of our judicial system and I would feel much, much better if more states would really consider whether ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/john-paul-stevens-12128_benefits_but-i-really-think-it-s-a-very-unfortuna_1335784.jpg" --- # But I really think it's a very unfortunate part of our… ![“But I really think it's a very unfortunate part of our judicial system and I would feel much, much better if more states would really consider whether they think the benefits outweigh the very serious potential injustice, because in these cases the emotions are very, very high on both sides and to…” quote by John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/john-paul-stevens-12128_benefits_but-i-really-think-it-s-a-very-unfortuna_1335784.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/john-paul-stevens-12128_benefits_but-i-really-think-it-s-a-very-unfortuna_1335784.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/john-paul-stevens-12128_benefits_but-i-really-think-it-s-a-very-unfortuna_1335784.jpg) > “But I really think it's a very unfortunate part of our judicial system and I would feel much, much better if more states would really consider whether they think the benefits outweigh the very serious potential injustice, because in these cases the emotions are very, very high on both sides and to have stakes as high as you do in these cases, there is a special potential for error. We cannot ignore the fact that in recent years a disturbing number of inmates on death row have been exonerated.” [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights the need for caution in capital punishment due to high stakes, emotional intensity, and risk of wrongful convictions. **In simple terms:** Capital punishment demands careful scrutiny. Key Takeaway Prioritize justice and error prevention. Themes justice ethics legal reform human rights Mood serious concerned Type political philosophical When to use this quote - court cases - legislative debates - public policy - advocacy groups Key Concepts capital punishment judicial error human fallibility Questions to Reflect On - Should the death penalty be abolished? - How can safeguards be improved? A Different Perspective Balancing deterrence with moral responsibility is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) [Both sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/both-sides/) [Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Death row](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-row/) [Disturbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disturbing/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Errors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/errors/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Injustice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/injustice/) [Injustice Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/injustice-cases-4496576/) [Inmates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inmates/) [Judicial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judicial/) [Judicial Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judicial-feel-4496575/) [Judicial system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judicial-system/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Potential Injustice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/potential-injustice-4496574/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Special](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special/) [Stakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stakes/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Unfortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfortunate/) [Unfortunate Judicial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfortunate-judicial-4496577/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [I think this country would be much better off if we did not have capital punishment… We cannot ignore the fact that in recent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/i-think-this-country-would-be-much-better-off-if-we-did-not-have/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [Trump is not the victim of the judicial system; he is or has been the defendant in 3,500 lawsuits - that's not the mark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/trump-is-not-the-victim-of-the-judicial-system-he-is-or-has-been-the/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [Yahweh demanded justice for the poor, compassion and equality for foreigners and refugees, systemic redress for poverty, structural mechanisms to protect the homeless and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-j-h-wright/yahweh-demanded-justice-for-the-poor-compassion-and-equality-for/) [Christopher J. H. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-j-h-wright/) > [“A college student who wants to file a complaint of sexual assault within the campus disciplinary system informs a university employee such as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-bernstein/a-college-student-who-wants-to-file-a-complaint-of-sexual-assault/) [David E. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-bernstein/) > [In the absolute majority of western democracies - elected officials are the ones who appoint the highest bench in the judicial system. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-shaked/in-the-absolute-majority-of-western-democracies-elected-officials-are/) [Ayelet Shaked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-shaked/) > [The government, under my leadership, will act to implement the rule of law and to maintain the independence of the judicial system, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-sharon/the-government-under-my-leadership-will-act-to-implement-the-rule-of/) [Ariel Sharon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-sharon/) > [In a democracy, you need to have a strong judicial system. You need freedom of speech, you need art, and you need a free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tzipi-livni/in-a-democracy-you-need-to-have-a-strong-judicial-system-you-need/) [Tzipi Livni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tzipi-livni/) > [“Everything leads me to believe it,” he replied. “They got their hands on this communist who wasn’t one, while still being one. He had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/everything-leads-me-to-believe-it-he-replied-they-got-their-hands-on/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [The importance of elections, transparency, legal procedures, an independent army, and the judicial system is not regarded as highly in China. These core values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/the-importance-of-elections-transparency-legal-procedures-an/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I personally believe technology can transform the functioning of the judicial system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-sibal/i-personally-believe-technology-can-transform-the-functioning-of-the/) [Kapil Sibal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-sibal/) > [In the 1990s, there was a lot of reform, and there was a lot of forward movement on a lot of fronts in Russia.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/in-the-1990s-there-was-a-lot-of-reform-and-there-was-a-lot-of-forward/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [The judicial system is really taking an activist role in preventing Trump from implementing his agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-crenshaw/the-judicial-system-is-really-taking-an-activist-role-in-preventing/) [Dan Crenshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-crenshaw/) > [“If we want truth and justice to rule our global village, there must be no hypocrisy. If there is no truth, then there will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/if-we-want-truth-and-justice-to-rule-our-global-village-there-must-be/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [I'm not in charge of judgments in Iran. The judicial system in Iran is an independent body of its own, and it follows the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/i-m-not-in-charge-of-judgments-in-iran-the-judicial-system-in-iran-is/) [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/) > [Crimes against women are growing day by day. Despite this, the mindset of our leaders, politicians, or judicial system is not changing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raveena-tandon/crimes-against-women-are-growing-day-by-day-despite-this-the-mindset/) [Raveena Tandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raveena-tandon/) ## More by John Paul Stevens > [When the commission finds that a pig has entered the parlor, the exercise of its regulatory power does not depend on proof that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/when-the-commission-finds-that-a-pig-has-entered-the-parlor-the/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [The practice of executing such offenders is a relic of the past and is inconsistent with evolving standards of decency in a civilized society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/the-practice-of-executing-such-offenders-is-a-relic-of-the-past-and/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [It is not our job to apply laws that have not yet been written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/it-is-not-our-job-to-apply-laws-that-have-not-yet-been-written/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [As a matter of constitutional tradition, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we presume that governmental regulation of the content of speech…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/as-a-matter-of-constitutional-tradition-in-the-absence-of-evidence-to/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [I announced my dissent in the Citizens United orally, and I stumbled in my announcement. I had a little difficulty expressing myself. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/i-announced-my-dissent-in-the-citizens-united-orally-and-i-stumbled/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [Public officials, including state legislators, have a duty to act impartially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/public-officials-including-state-legislators-have-a-duty-to-act/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [District of Columbia v. Heller, which recognized an individual right to possess a firearm under the Constitution, is unquestionably the most clearly incorrect decision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/district-of-columbia-v-heller-which-recognized-an-individual-right-to/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [After all, a district judge who gives harsh sentences to Yankees fans and lenient sentences to Red Sox fans would not be acting reasonably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/after-all-a-district-judge-who-gives-harsh-sentences-to-yankees-fans/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [All I can say is I did the best I could, and I didn't do well enough on many occasions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/all-i-can-say-is-i-did-the-best-i-could-and-i-didn-t-do-well-enough/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [It almost seems I was writing two separate books, the first one about the time before I went on the court and the second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/it-almost-seems-i-was-writing-two-separate-books-the-first-one-about/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [One thing, however, is certain. Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this year's presidential election, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/one-thing-however-is-certain-although-we-may-never-know-with-complete/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [I'm a person who plays Ping-Pong once in a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/i-m-a-person-who-plays-ping-pong-once-in-a-while/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/anonymity-is-a-shield-from-the-tyranny-of-the-majority/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [I think maybe the people in elected positions are more interested in preserving their jobs than in doing the best job possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/i-think-maybe-the-people-in-elected-positions-are-more-interested-in/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [When I joined the Supreme Court in 1975, both state and federal judges accepted the Court's unanimous decision in United States v. Miller as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/when-i-joined-the-supreme-court-in-1975-both-state-and-federal-judges/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) [Explore all 56 John Paul Stevens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) ## More Benefits quotes > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Shortly after I turned 50, both Ted Turner and the AARP came into my life. The only difference? With AARP, there were benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/shortly-after-i-turned-50-both-ted-turner-and-the-aarp-came-into-my/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [Politics is about power. It is about the power of the state. It is about the power of the state as applied to individuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/politics-is-about-power-it-is-about-the-power-of-the-state-it-is/) [Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-us-think-of-education-as-the-means-of-developing-our-greatest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I won the seat of Oxley largely on an issue that has resulted in me being called a racist. That issue related to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-hanson/i-won-the-seat-of-oxley-largely-on-an-issue-that-has-resulted-in-me/) [Pauline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-hanson/) > [Intelligence is a separate gift, for the benefit of students, so that they may think of themselves as intellectual and not very intelligent, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/intelligence-is-a-separate-gift-for-the-benefit-of-students-so-that/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I've always said that I benefit, as an actor, from not having the illusion of security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-sparks/i-ve-always-said-that-i-benefit-as-an-actor-from-not-having-the/) [Hal Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-sparks/) > [Benefits received are a delight to us as long as we think we can requite them; when that possibility is far exceeded, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/benefits-received-are-a-delight-to-us-as-long-as-we-think-we-can/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) [Browse all 3,616 Benefits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But I really think it's a very unfortunate part of our judicial system and I would feel much, much better if more states would really consider whether they think the benefits outweigh the very serious potential injustice, because in these cases the emotions are very, very high on both sides and to have stakes as high as you do in these cases, there is a special potential for error. We cannot ignore the fact that in recent years a disturbing number of inmates on death row have been exonerated.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Paul Stevens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/but-i-really-think-it-s-a-very-unfortunate-part-of-our-judicial/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Benefits" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/but-i-really-think-it-s-a-very-unfortunate-part-of-our-judicial/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/john-paul-stevens-12128_benefits_but-i-really-think-it-s-a-very-unfortuna_1335784.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/john-paul-stevens-12128_benefits_but-i-really-think-it-s-a-very-unfortuna_1335784.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/john-paul-stevens-12128_benefits_but-i-really-think-it-s-a-very-unfortuna_1335784.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But I really think it's a very unfortunate part of our judicial system and I would feel much, much better if…” — John Paul Stevens", "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": "John Paul Stevens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But I really think it's a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/but-i-really-think-it-s-a-very-unfortunate-part-of-our-judicial/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/but-i-really-think-it-s-a-very-unfortunate-part-of-our-judicial/#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 } } ] } ```