Allow me to Defend every Criminal out there

[Kantor]

I agree that there is ALWAYS a reason for a criminal to commit a criminal act, but the fact remains that other people in those same circumstances did not commit that crime. There is some free will involved (and if there isn't, then we can't decide not to hate them anyway, so that goes nowhere).

And no matter how well you understand why somebody did something that broke the law, they still have to be punished. The threat of punishment can discourage people from committing petty crimes, and the threat holds no water if it is never carried out.