Prov 18, 5 It is not good to be partial to the guilty

(Prov 18, 5) It is not good to be partial to the guilty

[5] It is not good to be partial to the guilty, and so to reject a rightful claim.

(CCC 2476) False witness and perjury. When it is made publicly, a statement contrary to the truth takes on a particular gravity. In court it becomes false witness (Cf. Prov 19:9). When it is under oath, it is perjury. Acts such as these contribute to condemnation of the innocent, exoneration of the guilty, or the increased punishment of the accused (Cf. Prov 18:5).