Changes

During this time period the colonies during this time were very different from each other.  Freedoms in the colonies varied widely.   

During this time period the colonies during this time were very different from each other.  Freedoms in the colonies varied widely.   

In the colony of New York, for example, [[John Peter Zenger]] got in big trouble for publishing something critical of the governor.  The New York governor demanded that Zenger be prosecuted and thrown in jail for criticizing him.  Zenger was put on trial.  On the first day of the trial, a good defense attorney from Philadelphia appeared to defend Zenger for free.  The defense attorney argued to the jury that it should not be a crime to say something that is true, even though it may embarrass the governor.  The judge told the jury that the law says that can be a crime called “libel”.  But the jury ignored the law and held in favor of Zenger:  “not guilty.”  This case established the very important right unique to America:  the right of freedom of the press.  To this day we have that right in America, but those in England do not have this right.<ref>"Known as the 'libel capital of the world' because of its plaintiff-friendly rules on defamation, Britain has nothing remotely comparable to the First Amendment's protections for freedom of the press."[http://writ.news.findlaw.com/mariner/20030317.html]</ref>

In the colony of New York, for example, [[John Peter Zenger]] got in big trouble for publishing something critical of the governor.  The New York governor demanded that Zenger be prosecuted and thrown in jail for criticizing him.  Zenger was then put on trial in 1735.  On the first day of the trial, a good defense attorney from Philadelphia appeared to defend Zenger for free.  The defense attorney argued to the jury that it should not be a crime to say something that is true, even though it may embarrass the governor.  The judge told the jury that the law says that can be a crime called “libel”.  But the jury ignored the law and held in favor of Zenger:  “not guilty.”  This case established the very important right unique to America:  the right of freedom of the press.  To this day we have that right in America, but those in England do not have this right.<ref>"Known as the 'libel capital of the world' because of its plaintiff-friendly rules on defamation, Britain has nothing remotely comparable to the First Amendment's protections for freedom of the press."[http://writ.news.findlaw.com/mariner/20030317.html]</ref>

The case helped convince Americans of the importance of the right to a jury trial, which was later written into our Constitution.

The case helped convince Americans of the importance of the right to a jury trial, which was later written into our Constitution.