"People say I've had brushes with the law. That's not true. I've had brushes with overzealous prosecutors"

Edwin W. Edwards is recommending that he has not had any brushes with the law, but rather with overzealous prosecutors. He is indicating that the prosecutors have actually been too eager to pursue legal action versus him, despite the fact that he has actually not broken any laws. This might be translated as a criticism of the justice system, as Edwards is recommending that prosecutors are too fast to implicate individuals of wrongdoing without adequate proof. It could likewise be viewed as a defense of his own character, as he is asserting that he has actually refrained from doing anything wrong and is being unfairly targeted. Ultimately, the quote suggests that the justice system is not constantly reasonable which innocent people can be wrongfully implicated.