LAD/Blog #2: Peter Zenger

1.) Who was Peter Zenger?
Peter Zenger was a newspaper printer in New York who was accused of seditious libel by Governor Cosby. his case would shine a light on the protection of rights that were later evident when the U.S. created formal laws.

2.) What was the controversy over his trial?
The controversy was that despite two separate grand juries denying the governor's legal team an indictment his legal team was able to influence the court, consisting of his allies, to issue a warrant for Peter Zenger's arrest.

3.) What influence did his case have on the American governmental tradition?
There was no direct influence on the American governmental traditions, but the trial did influence how the American people viewed certain rights. The views that Americans held would later go on to impact American governmental traditions as seen through the U.S. Constitution.

4.) What is the lasting significance of his trial?
The trial demonstrated important aspects of the legal system, such as the role of a jury and the power that it holds even to this day.


I chose this picture because when I heard about Trump calling anything that he did not view in the right way in his mind of fake news it reminded me of how people have a legal right of freedom of speech. This means that they can call him for example a bad president but even though that is not what he wants to hear that doesn't make it fake news and people still have a right to view their opinions because we live in a democracy.

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