Salmon P. Chase, who represented John Van Zandt in his case before the Supreme Court, is a notable figure in Ohio and national history. As a lawyer, he is tied to several cases where his anti-slavery support proved instrumental. In 1855 he was elected governor of the Buckeye state and tried unsuccessfully several times to win the presidential nomination. He went on to serve as a Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, nominated by Abraham Lincoln.