Commentaries by Cliff Mason

On January 6, 1964, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the free speech/free press case of New York Times v. Sullivan. Columbia Law School professor Herbert Wechsler argued for the petitioner. Listen to the oral arguments on Oyez, the Supreme Court multimedia database at Northwestern University.

On January 6, 1649, the Parliament of England voted to put Charles I on trial for high treason following the English Civil War. Prior to the vote, a group of soldiers purged Parliament of Members they believed would vote in the King's favor, creating the Rump Parliament. The Rump Parliament then voted on January 6 to create the High Court of Justice, which would serve as the body to try King Charles. He was convicted on January 27 and finally executed on January 30 of that same year.

Learn more about the trial of King Charles I of England.