第六讲曾格案庭审记录Zengercasetrialrecord1.docx

第六讲曾格案庭审记录Zengercasetrialrecord1.docx

《第六讲曾格案庭审记录Zengercasetrialrecord1.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《第六讲曾格案庭审记录Zengercasetrialrecord1.docx（20页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

第六讲曾格案庭审记录Zengercasetrialrecord1

TrialRecord

FromZenger'sABriefNarrativeoftheCaseandTrialofJohnPeterZenger（1736）:

OnTuesday,July29,1735,theCourtopened.OnthemotionofMr.Chambersforastruckjury,pursuanttotheruleoftheprecedingterm,theCourtwereoftheopinionthatIwasentitledtohaveastruckjury.Thateveningatfiveo'clocksomeofmyfriendsattendedtheclerkforstrikingthejury;whentotheirsurprisetheclerk[Harison],insteadofproducingtheFreeholdersbook,tostrikethejuryfromitintheirpresenceasusual,producedalistof48personswhomhesaidhehadtakenoutoftheFreeholdersbook.

Myfriendstoldhimthatagreatnumberofthesepersonswerenotfreeholders;thatotherswerepersonsholdingcommissionsandofficesattheGovernor'spleasure;thatotherswereofthelatedisplacedmagistratesofthiscity,whomustbesupposedtohaveresentmentagainstmeforwhatIhadprintedconcerningthem;thatothersweretheGovernor'sbaker,tailor,shoemaker,candlemaker,joiner,etc.;thatastothefewindifferentmenthatwereuponthatlist,theyhadreasontobelieve（astheyhadheard）thatMr.Attorneyhadalistofthem,tostrikethemout.AndthereforetheyrequestedthathewouldeitherbringtheFreeholdersbook,andchooseoutofit48unexceptionalmenintheirpresenceasusual,orelsethathewouldheartheirobjectionsparticularlytothelistheoffered,andthathewouldputimpartialmenintheplaceofthoseagainstwhomtheycouldshowjustobjections.

Notwithstandingthis,theclerkrefusedtostrikethejuryoutoftheFreeholdersbook,andrefusedtohearanyobjectionstothepersonsonthelist;buttoldmyfriendsthatiftheyhadanyobjectionstoanypersons,theymightstrikethosepersonsout.Towhichtheyansweredthattherewouldnotremainajuryiftheystruckoutalltheexceptionalmen,andaccordingtothecustomtheyhadarighttostrikeoutonlytwelve.

Findingnoargumentscouldprevailwiththeclerktoheartheirobjectionstohislist,nortostrikethejuryasusual,Mr.ChamberstoldhimthathemustapplytotheCourt;whichthenextmorninghedid.AndtheCourtuponhismotionorderedthatthe48shouldbestruckoutoftheFreeholdersbookasusual,inthepresenceoftheparties,andthattheclerkshouldhearobjectionstopersonsproposedtobeofthe48,andallowofsuchexceptionsaswerejust.Inpursuanceofthatorderajurywasthateveningstrucktothesatisfactionofbothparties.Myfriendsandcounselinsistedonnoobjectionsbutwantoffreehold,althoughtheydidnotinsistthatMr.AttorneyGeneralshouldshowanyparticularcauseagainstanypersonshedisliked,butacquiescedthatanypersonhedislikedshouldbeleftoutofthe48.

TheTrialBegins

BeforeJamesDeLancey,ChiefJusticeoftheProvinceofNewYork,andFrederickPhilipse,AssociateJustice,mytrialbeganonAugust4,1735,uponaninformationforprintingandpublishingtwonewspaperswhichwerecalledlibelsagainstourGovernorandhisadministration.

Thedefendant,JohnPeterZenger,beingcalled,appeared.

MR.CHAMBERS,ofcounselforthedefense."Ihumblymove,

YourHonors,thatwemayhavejusticedonebythesheriff,andthathemayreturnthenamesofthejurorsinthesameorderastheywerestruck."

MR.CHIEFJUSTICE."Howisthat?

Aretheynotsoreturned?

"

MR.CHAMBERS."Notheyarenot.Forsomeofthenamesthatwerelastsetdowninthepanelarenowplacedfirst."

MR.CHIEFJUSTICE."Makethatoutandyoushallberighted."

MR.CHAMBERS."Ihavethecopyofthepanelinmyhandasthejurorswerestruck,andiftheclerkwillproducetheoriginalsignedbyMr.Attorneyandmyself,YourHonorwillseethatourcomplaintisjust."

MR.CHIEFJUSTICE."Clerk,isitso?

Lookuponthatcopy.Isitatruecopyofthepanelasitwasstruck?

"

CLERK."Yes,Ibelieveitis."

MR.CHIEFJUSTICE."Howcamethenamesofthejurorstobemisplacedinthepanel?

"

SHERIFF."Ihavereturnedthejurorsinthesameorderinwhichtheclerkgavethemtome."

MR.CHIEFJUSTICE."Letthenamesofthejurorsberangedin

theordertheywerestruck,agreeabletothecopyhereinCourt."

Whichwasdoneaccordingly;andthejury,whosenameswereasfollows,werecalledandsworn:

ThomasHunt（Foreman）,HarmanusRutgers,StanlyHolmes,EdwardMan,JohnBell,SamuelWeaver,AndriesMarschalk,EgbertvanBorsom,BenjaminHildreth,AbrahamKeteltas,JohnGoelet,HerculesWendover.'Mr.AttorneyGeneral'openedtheinformation,whichwasasfollows:

CasefortheProsecution

MR.ATTORNEY."MayitpleaseYourHonorsandyou,GentlemenoftheJury.TheinformationnowbeforetheCourt,andtowhichthedefendant,Zenger,haspleaded'Notguilty,'isaninformationforprintingandpublishingafalse,scandalous,andseditiouslibelinwhichHisExcellency,theGovernorofthis