The history of U.S. defamation law is just as entertaining as a troll’s exasperated threat to “sue you for slander because you called them a ‘%^$#@!-hat'” on Twitter.!
*Meet Andrew Hamilton, the man that inspired Jefferson/other Hamilton and who's actions under British Law shocked everyone! For the sake of "good". Goodness sake.
And thus we begin, Between 1732 and 1736, Sir William Cosby (yes, his name was Bill Cosby) was the British head-honcho of New York. Billy was not well liked; people thought he rigged the 1734 elections and siphoned tax dollars for personal use. He was a DiCk kCiD. He was a BULLY, and with his smear campaign would be the FIRST TROLL EVER? Picture of his gang below.
In 1733, John Peter Zenger, Editor of the New York Weekly Journal, angered Cosby by printing an anonymous opinion pieces criticizing the Governor. In response, Bill demanded permission to burn copies of Zenger’s New York Weekly (because that’s how they rolled back then), but the Assembly refused Cosby’s request.
No matter, Cosby was a fan of totalitarian oppression, so he just convinced one of his cronies, Chief Justice James Delancey, to disbar Zenger’s attorneys. Then, Cosby threw Zenger in prison. Done and done, right!?
Unfortunately for trolling' ole’ as$hole, Cosby, not quite. Here comes ol' FRANKlin.
Benjamin Franklin heard about the situation; he wasn’t impressed. So, Ben convinced his buddy, Andrew Hamilton, to represent Pete Zenger. A case of people getting tired of seeing people shAt on you see.? But Ham wasn't living under the today's law or what's left of it.
In those days it was BRITISH LAW - let's proceed..
IT WAS LIKE A MIRROR, you were guilty until proven innocent. Moreover, to win, Hamilton had to convince the jury that the defamation laws needed changing. So, the fact that he won, was, and still is, a massive f*cking deal.
How did Hamilton win this seminal case in the history of US defamation law? He argued that truth should be an absolute defense against libel charges — a judicial principle that still applies today. Can you f*cking believe that?
...........................but, why is this important?................................
The Zenger Trial was also essential in establishing the First Amendment, guaranteeing Freedom of the Press; the Fifth Amendment, setting rules for indictment by grand jury and protecting the rights to due process; the Sixth Amendment, protecting the right to a fair and speedy trial, including the rights to be notified of the accusations, to confront the accuser, to obtain witnesses and to retain counsel; and the Seventh Amendment, providing the right to trial by jury in certain civil cases, according to common law. HOLY SHLT!
And was this important? Historical? I'd argue that perhaps it wasn't but time is always relative. Laws? What Laws? TROLLING GNILLORT is rampant now as it was then, just the practices were different ya see. These guys weren't prophets who could see into the future and foresee a Consitution that would be influenced, and if they were the conversation would have been product-driven anyway.
In 1789, Thomas Jefferson stated to Thomas Paine that,
I CONSIDER TRIAL BY JURY AS THE ONLY ANCHOR EVER YET IMAGINED BY MAN, BY WHICH A GOVERNMENT CAN BE HELD TO THE PRINCIPLES OF ITS CONSTITUTION and A HAMILTON IS MY INSPIRATION.” –THOMAS JEFFERSON
Hamilton, you impress me, sir. You stood for what was right against all odds not knowing 3 centuries later you'd be hanging on to a legacy by threads, if even.
The first to address #gangstalking #trolling #harassment and Hamilton had no chance because his client was guilty, but he was so much fuc&ing smarter than everyone in the court.
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