Clarence Darrow
Clarence Darrow
Clarence Seward Darrowwas an American lawyer, leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union, and prominent advocate for Georgist economic reform. He was best known for defending teenage thrill killers Leopold and Loeb in their trial for murdering 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks. Some of his other notable cases included defending Ossian Sweet, and John T. Scopes in the Scopes "Monkey" Trial, in which he opposed William Jennings Bryan. Called a "sophisticated country lawyer", he remains notable for his wit, which...
ProfessionLawyer
Date of Birth18 April 1857
CityKinsman, OH
Clarence Darrow quotes about
Some false representations contravene the law; some do not. The law does not pretend to punish everything that is dishonest. That would seriously interfere with business, and, besides, could not be done. The line between honesty and dishonesty is a narrow, shifting one and usually lets those get by that are the most subtle and already have more than they can use.
There is no such crime as a crime of thought; there are only crimes of action.
Physical deformity, calls forth our charity. But the infinite misfortune of moral deformity calls forth nothing but hatred and vengeance.
Many writers claim that nearly all crime is caused by economic conditions, or in other words that poverty is practically the whole cause of crime. Endless statistics have been gathered on this subject which seem to show conclusively that property crimes are largely the result of the unequal distribution of wealth. But crime of any class cannot be safely ascribed to a single cause. Life is too complex, heredity is too variant and imperfect, too many separate things contribute to human behavior, to make it possible to trace all actions to a single cause.
The ablest lawyers are always associated with the biggest fees.
Lawyers are natural politicians.
Most jury trials are contests between the rich and poor.
An agnostic is a doubter. The word is generally applied to those who doubt the verity of accepted religious creeds of faiths.
The purpose of life is to live it.
Scopes isn’t on trial; civilization is on trial.
Punishment as punishment is not admissible unless the offender has had the free will to select his course.
We're all killers at heart . . . . I have never taken anybody's life, but I have often read obituary notices with considerable satisfaction.
I had grown tired of standing in the lean and lonely front line facing the greatest enemy that ever confronted man -- public opinion.
Liberty is the most jealous and exacting mistress that can beguile the soul and brain of man.