LAD #2

John Peter Zenger (1697-1746) began his career in the press working as an apprentice to William Bradford, a man who printed the New York Gazette. In 1735, Zenger was tried for seditious libel because he had written offending articles about the currente New York Governor, William Cosby. Cosby had persecuted the interim governor, Rip Van Dam, and had removed Lewis Morris, the Chief Justice, from the courts. Zenger was opposed to Cosby's policies and was not afraid to write about them in his paper. Seditious libel, the crime he was tried for, is defined as any political criticism that threatened to diminish respect for the goverment, its laws, or any public officials.

There was controversy over Zenger's charges because some believed it was completely unacceptable to write anything offensive about the governor. However, others believed that because what Zenger wrote was the truth, his article was perfectly acceptable. Zenger's lawyer, Andrew Hamilton, stated that, "The truth is an absolute defense against libel." Because Zenger had written the truth about Cosby, he was declared NOT GUILTY.

Although in many countries condemning the government is strictly prohibited, this trial was the beginning of the enforcenment of freedom of the press. Zenger's trial produced a lasting effect on America, because it showed that America was willing to give everyone a voice to express their feelings on any issue even if it might be controversial and against the government.