John Peter Zenger was a newspaper publisher in New York who was brought to court in 1734 for voicing his opposition to the newly appointed colonial governor, William Crosby, in the New York Weekly Journal. He was charged with seditious libel.
2. What was the controversy over his charges? Talk about
The prosecution argued that the fact that the statements against the governor were published at all was enough to convict Zenger whether the statements were true or not. Zenger's defense lawyer, Alexander Hamilton admitted that the stories opposing the governor had been published by Zenger, but he denied that it was libel since the statements made were not false. At the conclusion of the trial, Zenger was found not guilty.
3. What influence did his case have on American governmental tradition?
The Zenger Trial greatly influenced American governmental tradition because it impacted all future libel suits. Truth was now a defense against libel. In other words, if a statement of opposition againts a public official was true, then it could not be libel
4. What is the lasting significance of his trial? Explain.
The lasting significance of this trial was the advancement of the freedom of the press as well as an achievement for the health of democracy. After the trial, newspapers eventually were able to print criticisms of officials. Concern about going to trial for libel was no longer necessary as long as the information printed was true.
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