LAD #2

Trial of John Peter Zenger (1735)

1. Who was John Peter Zenger?

John Peter Zenger was a German-American printer, publisher, editor, and journalist in New York who was jailed for his critical journals written and posted to the public on governor William Cosby.

 2. What was the controversy over his charges? Talk about Hamilton's Defense.

The controversy over John Peter Zenger's charges weren't because of what he published. It was because these charges went against the first amendment, Freedom of Speech. Hamilton;s defense went straight to the jury and said that in a free democratic society one is entitled to freedom of speech and freedom of the press, this convinced to jury to reach a verdict of not guilty.

3. What influence did this case have on American governmental tradition?

The verdict of not guilty only made freedom of speech more relevant in our society, even if Zengers accusations were slanderous and libel; he along with every other american can voice their opinion to the public and alter the minds of others. This set the stage for future cases resulting in other outcomes due to freedom of speech and press.

4. What is the lasting significance of this trial? Explain.

The lasting significance of this case is it gave more leniency to charges of libel and how lawyers can defend against it in the future. Also, writers now can print any criticizing articles as long as what the writer said was true.