The verdict of the 1735 libel trial of New York publisher John Peter Zenger

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The verdict of the 1735 libel trial of New York publisher John Peter Zenger increased freedom of the press in the colonies. The trial established the principle that truthful statements about public officials could not be considered libel. This ruling became an important precedent for the protection of free speech and press in the American colonies, and later in the United States.

The Verdict of the 1735 Libel Trial of New York