I think he knows he was in technical violation of the law insofar as having drugs around children, and that nobody is buying otherwise, but is trying to make an argument that he always adhered to some self-invented "spirit of the law" in that the kids couldn't get to the drugs. You will note during his allocution he specifically, and without prompting, claimed he always had the drugs locked in a safe only he had access to.
But I don't even believe he adhered to this made up spirit. Because, 1) April's credit card, and 2) the 8 year old daughter that tested positive.