I've been informed that my comment in Denver regarding the Tate murder trial in Los Angeles may continue to be misunderstood despite the unequivocal statement made at the time by my Press Secretary.
My remarks were in the context of my expression of a tendency on the part of some to glamorize those identified with a crime.
The last thing I would do is prejudice the legal rights of any person, in any circumstances.
To set the record straight, I do not know and did not intend to speculate as to whether the Tate defendants are guilty, in fact, or not. All of the facts in the case have not yet been presented. The defendants should be presumed to be innocent at this stage of their trial.
To repeat what I said at the LEAP, Conference in Denver, our American system of justice requires the constant support of every citizen, to insure a fair trial for the guilty and innocent alike.
Note: The statement, prepared aboard Air Force One en route from Denver to Washington, D.C., was given to reporters on arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
Richard Nixon, Statement About Remarks in Denver, Colorado Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/240248