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In 1735, John Peter Zenger, a German immigrant living in the colony of New York, was in big trouble. Zenger was a printer, who published The New York Weekly Journal, and had published articles highly critical of the King of England and his appointee, William Crosby, the Governor of New York. Governor Crosby had Zenger arrested and charged him with libel and sedition. Even then, Philadelphia was renowned as a center of legal excellence. Zenger retained Philadelphia lawyer, Andrew Hamilton. The trial began on August 4, 1735, and the courtroom was packed with New York lawyers anxious to see the fool Hamilton get his comeuppance. Instead, it was Hamilton who won the day. He astounded the naysayers with his tenacity and unsurpassed skill. It is reported that his argument to the jury on behalf of Zenger was spellbinding.
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In his argument, Hamilton laid out what was to become the basic principle of the First Amendment - that people had a right to express themselves freely in print, and that there really is such a thing as freedom of the press.
John Peter Zenger is now an icon in journalistic circles and Philadelphia lawyers continue to revere Andrew Hamilton. You can even find "Philadelphia Lawyer" in the dictionary. "Philadelphia Lawyer" has come to mean a lawyer who is just a bit more clever, a bit more effective - a better lawyer than most. This is the legacy of Andrew Hamilton. The Philadelphia Lawyer Goldberg & Associates, P.C. (215) 732-2000
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