Zenger Trial

Examples of Zenger Trial in the following topics:

• The Trial of Zenger

  • The Zenger Trial paved the way for freedom of the press in America by arguing that true statements could not be outlawed as libel.
  • During the trial, Hamilton appealed directly to the jury, claiming that the truth could not be defamatory, and therefore, Zenger could not be found guilty of libel.
  • Although the judge dismissed this claim entirely, Hamilton persuaded the jury to disregard the laws on libel in favor of this concept--an argument that convinced the jury to return a verdict of "not guilty. " Therefore, not only did the Zenger Trial result in a remarkable instance of jury nullifcation, but also established a precedent for protecting the freedom of the press in the American courts.
  • Zenger's article gave contemporaries a preview of the same argument Hamilton would present to the jury in the Zenger trial: the truth is a legitimate defense against libel.
  • Analyze the significance of the Zenger trial for the development of a free press in the colonies

• Freedom of Expression and its Limits

  • One such instance in which the concept of freedom of expression dramatically expanded was the Zenger Trial.
  • After more than eight months in prison, Zenger was defended in court by Philadelphia lawyer, Andrew Hamilton.
  • In the trial, Hamilton appealed directly to the jury, claiming that the truth could not be defamatory, and therefore, Zenger could not be found guilty of libel.
  • Although the judge dismissed this claim entirely, Hamilton persuaded the jury to disregard the laws on libel in favor of this concept—an argument that convinced the jury to return a verdict of "not guilty. " Therefore, not only did the Zenger Trial result in a remarkable instance of jury nullification, but it also established a precedent for protecting the freedom of the press in the American courts.
  • Cosby was attacked by Zenger's paper for his actions while governor of New York.

• The Nuremberg Trials

  • The trials were held in the city of Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany in 1945 and 1946 at the Palace of Justice.
  • The first and best known of these trials, described as "[t]he greatest trial in history" by Norman Birkett, one of the British judges who presided over it, was the trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal (IMT).
  • The second set of trials of lesser war criminals was conducted under Control Council Law No. 10 at the U.S.
  • Nuremberg Military Tribunals (NMT); among the second set of trials were the Doctors' Trial and the Judges' Trial.
  • The creation of the IMT was followed by trials of lesser Nazi officials and the trials of Nazi doctors, who performed experiments on people in prison camps.

• The Scopes Trial

  • The Scopes Trial of 1925 brought to national attention the debate over teaching evolution in public schools.
  • The trial drew intense publicity and was followed by the press and on the radio throughout America.
  • The trial had both short- and long-term effects 0n the teaching of science in United States schools.
  • Though often upheld as a blow for the Fundamentalists, the Monkey Trial victory was not complete.
  • Inherit the Wind, a 1960 film starring Spencer Tracy, dramatized the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925.

• The Salem Witch Trials

  • The Salem witch trials of 1692 were the earliest examples of mass hysteria in the country.
  • The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693.
  • The trials resulted in the executions of 20 people, 14 of them women and all but one by hanging.
  • The central figure in this 1876 illustration of the courtroom is usually identified as Mary Walcott, one of the "afflicted" girls called as a witness at the Salem Witch Trials in 1692-93.
  • Evaluate what the Salem witch trials reveal about the role of religion and the role of women in the colonies

• Witchcraft in New England

  • New England in the 17th century saw a number of accusations and trials of witchcraft.
  • The most famous witch trials in American history, however, took place from February 1692 to May 1693 in and around coastal settlements near Salem, Massachusetts.
  • Many theories have been advanced to explain the trials, including greed, revenge, social conflict, and possibly hallucinogenic-tainted food.
  • This work by Reverend Cotton Mather was written to justify the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s.

• The Impeachment and Trial of Johnson

  • The impeachment and subsequent trial of Johnson is historically recognized as an act of political expedience, rather than necessity, based on Johnson's defiance of an unconstitutional piece of legislation and with little regard for the will of the public (which, despite the general unpopularity of Johnson, opposed the impeachment).
  • A trial began in the Senate in March .
  • Both sides argued the legitimacy of the Act ..In the end, 35 Senators voted "guilty" and 19 "non-guilty"; because the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority for conviction in impeachment trials, Johnson was thus acquitted by one vote.

• Resistance to Slavery

  • After a quick series of trials at City Hall, known as the New York Conspiracy Trials of 1741, the government executed 17 New Yorkers.
  • In the end, the Conspiracy Trials furthered white dominance and power over enslaved New Yorkers.

• The Bill of Rights

  • Sixth Amendment: guarantees trial by jury and rights of the accused; Confrontation Clause, speedy trial, public trial, right to counsel.

• The Impeachment of Bill Clinton

  • The Senate refused to meet to hold an impeachment trial before the end of the old term, so the trial was held over until the next Congress.
  • The Senate trial began on January 7, 1999, with Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist presiding.
  • Senate during the 1998 impeachment trial of Bill Clinton, who was narrowly acquitted of both charges.