LAD #2: John Peter Zenger

 Trial of John Peter Zenger

1. Who was John Peter Zenger?

John Peter Zenger was a publisher in colonial New York, whose newspaper contained articles criticizing the actions and policies of the governor at the time, Willam Cosby. His newspaper, the New York Weekly Journal, was established by wealthy men Cosby had removed from their government. When the bad press continued, Cosby had Zenger put in jail and charged with seditious libel.


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

The trial became high profile and controversial when eminent Philadelphia lawyer Andrew Hamilton became Zenger's defendant for the case. While the New York Weekly Journal was negatively inclined in its portrayal of Cosby, everything it published was the truth, and Hamilton used this key point in his defense of Zenger. His convincing argument simply stated that the articles were all proven to be factual, and therefore could not be libel. The case ended in a not guilty verdict for Zenger.


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

The Zenger case became a model for freedom of the press in the US. Before the constitution there was no first amendment to protect freedom of speech and the press, so there was nothing preventing government officials from silencing journalists who disagreed with them or portrayed them negatively. With this case, Hamilton proved there was no basis for prosecuting newspaper writers and publishers who were only sharing the truth.


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

The views of Zenger, Hamilton, and the jury of the case were that people have a right to know and share the truth. These views were similar to the ones that would go into the US constitution, especially the First Amendment. Freedom of the press was one of the most important parts of that amendment, giving individuals in the US rights freedom to publish anything without government interference, a right citizens of many other nations did not have at the time.