"It is more dangerous that even a guilty person should be punished without the forms of law than that he should escape"

This quote by Thomas Jefferson speaks with the value of the rule of law. He is saying that it is more dangerous for a guilty individual to be penalized without the forms of law than it is for them to escape. This is due to the fact that when a guilty individual is punished without the types of law, it sets a hazardous precedent that justice can be served without due procedure. This can cause a society where people are punished without a reasonable trial, and the innocent can be wrongly convicted. This quote is a tip that justice need to be served within the structure of the law, which it is more important to safeguard the rights of the implicated than it is to punish the guilty. It is a tip that justice should be served relatively and equitably, and that the rule of law should be respected.