--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I signed on to letting the death…" description: "\"When I signed on to letting the death penalty back in, I thought the procedural protections against executing an innocent person were stronger than the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/john-paul-stevens-12128_death_when-i-signed-on-to-letting-the-death-pe_3079431.jpg" --- # When I signed on to letting the death penalty back in, I… ![“When I signed on to letting the death penalty back in, I thought the procedural protections against executing an innocent person were stronger than they turned out to be.” quote by John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/john-paul-stevens-12128_death_when-i-signed-on-to-letting-the-death-pe_3079431.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/john-paul-stevens-12128_death_when-i-signed-on-to-letting-the-death-pe_3079431.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/john-paul-stevens-12128_death_when-i-signed-on-to-letting-the-death-pe_3079431.jpg) > “When I signed on to letting the death penalty back in, I thought the procedural protections against executing an innocent person were stronger than they turned out to be.” [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. A reflection on how procedural safeguards in capital punishment were weaker than expected. **In simple terms:** Procedural safeguards were weaker than expected. Key Takeaway Reevaluate safeguards. Themes justice capital punishment procedural law Mood serious reflective Type legal political When to use this quote - court decisions - policy debates - criminal justice reform Key Concepts legal safeguards risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - What reforms could improve safeguards? - How can we balance justice and error? A Different Perspective Complex legal systems can still fail to protect the innocent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death penalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-penalty/) [Innocent person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocent-person/) ## Related quotes > [The death penalty serves no one. It doesn't serve the victims. It doesn't serve prevention. It's truly all about retribution…There comes a time when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-woodford/the-death-penalty-serves-no-one-it-doesn-t-serve-the-victims-it-doesn/) Jeanne Woodford > [Since I was a law student, I have been against the death penalty. It does not deter. It is severely discriminatory against minorities, especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/since-i-was-a-law-student-i-have-been-against-the-death-penalty-it/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [I support the death penalty. I think that it has to be administered not only fairly, with attention to things like DNA evidence, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/i-support-the-death-penalty-i-think-that-it-has-to-be-administered/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [The possibility of sending an innocent person to their death is a reason why I'm against the death penalty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-reid/the-possibility-of-sending-an-innocent-person-to-their-death-is-a/) [Susanna Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-reid/) > [Patriotism has served, at different times, as widely different ends as a razor, which ought to be used in keeping your face clean and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-edward-montague/patriotism-has-served-at-different-times-as-widely-different-ends-as/) [Charles Edward Montague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-edward-montague/) > [I look back at myself, this innocent person, and I think, 'Gosh, she's okay.' I handled a lot, and I'm still here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-shields/i-look-back-at-myself-this-innocent-person-and-i-think-gosh-she-s/) [Brooke Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-shields/) > [But I know human nature, my friend, and I tell you that, suddenly confronted with the possibility of being tried for murder, the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/but-i-know-human-nature-my-friend-and-i-tell-you-that-suddenly/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [The only things that I can tell you is that every case I have reviewed I have been comfortable with the innocence or guilt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-only-things-that-i-can-tell-you-is-that-every-case-i-have/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I believe we are still so innocent. The species are still so innocent that a person who is apt to be murdered believes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-believe-we-are-still-so-innocent-the-species-are-still-so-innocent/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Judy Miller is the most innocent person in this case. I really thought that was outrageous that she was jailed and we needed as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/judy-miller-is-the-most-innocent-person-in-this-case-i-really-thought/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) > [It's not about whether you are innocent or guilty. It's about whether or not you can prove you're innocent. If you can't prove you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-jones/it-s-not-about-whether-you-are-innocent-or-guilty-it-s-about-whether/) Ronald Jones > [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/) > [“Courts across the country had long approved the use of deception and trickery by police in an interview setting with a suspect, holding that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/courts-across-the-country-had-long-approved-the-use-of-deception-and/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [“In contrast, innocent persons expect to expel the sassywood”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-t-leeson/in-contrast-innocent-persons-expect-to-expel-the-sassywood/) [Peter T. Leeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-t-leeson/) > [“The set of circumstances that justifies the use of deadly force is a situation of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/the-set-of-circumstances-that-justifies-the-use-of-deadly-force-is-a/) [Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/) ## 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 Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I signed on to letting the death penalty back in, I thought the procedural protections against executing an innocent person were stronger than they turned out to be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Paul Stevens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/when-i-signed-on-to-letting-the-death-penalty-back-in-i-thought-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/when-i-signed-on-to-letting-the-death-penalty-back-in-i-thought-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/john-paul-stevens-12128_death_when-i-signed-on-to-letting-the-death-pe_3079431.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/john-paul-stevens-12128_death_when-i-signed-on-to-letting-the-death-pe_3079431.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/john-paul-stevens-12128_death_when-i-signed-on-to-letting-the-death-pe_3079431.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I signed on to letting the death penalty back in, I thought the procedural protections against…” — 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": "When I signed on to letting...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/when-i-signed-on-to-letting-the-death-penalty-back-in-i-thought-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/when-i-signed-on-to-letting-the-death-penalty-back-in-i-thought-the/#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 } } ] } ```