“I have always considered Pascal's Wager a questionable bet to place, since any God worth believing in would prefer an honest agnostic to a calculating hypocrite.”
— Alan DershowitzGood people can do bad things under certain circumstances, and that doesn’t make them bad people.
— Alan DershowitzI think the essence of justice is that we respect the rule of law and we ensure that everyone, regardless of position, is treated equally under that law.
— Alan DershowitzJudges should interpret the law, not make it. Their job is to apply, not to alter, the legal framework.
— Alan DershowitzNo person should be judged solely by the worst thing they’ve ever done.
— Alan DershowitzReal freedom means the right to be unpopular, the right to dissent, the right to think differently.
— Alan DershowitzThe preservation of civil liberties is crucial, even if it sometimes appears to protect the guilty, because it's a protection that ultimately serves all of us.
— Alan DershowitzThe Constitution is not a perfect document, but it’s the best document we have for preserving freedom.
— Alan DershowitzIt’s easy to stand up for rights when they’re popular. The real test is defending rights when they’re unpopular.
— Alan DershowitzEveryone is entitled to a defense. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and everyone is entitled to due process of law.
— Alan DershowitzI’ve never tailored my opinions to fit popular sentiments; my job is to adhere to the truth as I see it.
— Alan DershowitzFreedom of speech is for the thought we hate, not for the thought we love. If you only believe in freedom of speech for the ideas you agree with, it’s not freedom of speech.
— Alan DershowitzThere’s no moral obligation to tell the truth to people who are lying to you.
— Alan DershowitzA lawyer’s job is not to decide guilt or innocence but to protect the rights of their clients and ensure they have a fair trial.
— Alan DershowitzBeing a defense attorney is often thankless because you defend people who are widely hated. But it is precisely those clients who most need a defense.
— Alan DershowitzThe first casualty of war is not truth; it’s liberty.
— Alan DershowitzAn unjust law cannot be enforced with justice.
— Alan DershowitzWhen it comes to the law, the ends cannot justify the means. Integrity of the process is as important as the outcome.
— Alan DershowitzCensorship always protects the powerful and silences the powerless.
— Alan DershowitzLiberty means freedom from government, not dependence on it.
— Alan DershowitzA government with the power to take liberties can take lives.
— Alan Dershowitz