"Rather leave the crime of the guilty unpunished than condemn the innocent"

This quote by Cicero talks to the value of justice and fairness. He is suggesting that it is better to let a guilty person go unpunished than to mistakenly punish an innocent person. This is because punishing an innocent individual would be an injustice, and would be a greater incorrect than allowing a guilty individual to go unpunished. This quote talks to the value of due process and the requirement to make sure that justice is served. It is a suggestion that justice must be based on truths and proof, and that innocent people must not be punished for criminal offenses they did not dedicate. This quote also speaks with the need for a reasonable and unbiased judicial system, where everyone is treated equally and fairly. It is a pointer that justice must be based upon realities and evidence, which innocent people must not be penalized for crimes they did not commit.