LAD #2: John Peter Zenger

LAD #2: John Peter Zenger

1. Who was John Peter Zenger?

• John Peter Zenger was a German immigrant, also the printer and editor of the New York Weekly Journal. He was arrested for “Seditious Libel” after he angered the Governor, William Cosby, by criticizing him for corruption in government—specifically, the removal of Lewis Morris, a Chief Court Justice, and the prosecution of Rip Van Dam. 

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

• The controversy was caused by the fact that people thought his criticisms were not slander if they were truthful. Hamilton backed this up, speaking directly to the jury and incited them to agree that if a statement is true, it cannot be slanderous, since it is simply stating the facts. In the end, Hamilton’s defense led to Zenger’s acquittal.

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

• After the trial, judges saw libel cases in a new way. Also, following Hamilton’s precedent, lawyers started to argue that if a statement is true, it is not libelous. As a result, libel cases resulted in different outcomes.

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

• Freedom of the press was considerably advanced after the Zenger trial. Newspapers were now allowed to run critical articles, as long as they were true. And, with more judges seeing libel cases in this new light, newspapers no longer worries about going to court over their articles. Freedom of the press became a quintessential American freedom that is advocated in the Bill of Rights.