On 29 November 1842, JS swore out a complaint in , Illinois, accusing Thomas Hunter of violating a Nauvoo city ordinance pertaining to religious societies. This ordinance had been passed in March 1841 with the explicit support of JS, then a member of the city council. It guaranteed that all “religious sects and denominations whatever, shall have free toleration and equal Privilieges” in Nauvoo and criminalized “ridiculing[,] abusing, or otherwise depreciating another in consequence of his religion.” The 29 November complaint was the second of two complaints JS made against Hunter for the same insult. JS swore out the first complaint on 28 November before alderman , accusing Hunter of insulting him and thereby violating the city ordinance regarding vagrants and disorderly persons. Based on that complaint, Hunter was arrested on 29 November and placed in the charge of alderman to be tried later that day. After Hunter’s arrest but before his trial, JS filed this second complaint with alderman , this time arguing that Hunter’s insults violated the city’s ordinance regarding religious societies. While JS’s first complaint against Hunter relied on the vagueness of Nauvoo’s vagrancy law, the language of his second complaint directly echoed the wording of the ordinance on religious societies by accusing Hunter of using “ridiculous and abusive language” against JS’s character, including his “Moral and relegious character.” Acting on behalf of Wells, city attorney wrote up JS’s complaint, which JS signed and Wells certified. JS’s second complaint against Hunter was also one of two complaints JS swore out before Wells on 29 November regarding violations of this ordinance; the other complaint targeted .

Hunter’s trial took place on 29 November before the Nauvoo Municipal Court, with presiding. After JS’s second complaint was read to the court, Hunter pleaded guilty to the charge. JS then “forgave Hunter the judgement,” and the court accordingly discharged Hunter without a fine. However, the court ordered Hunter to pay the full costs of the suit—amounting to eight dollars—and issued a ten-dollar fine against Hunter for contempt of court because he had used “disrespectful and abusive language” to dismiss the authority of ’s municipal court. Hunter appealed his conviction to the Circuit Court, which issued an injunction to halt the execution of the judgment. In February 1843, provided copies of the court transcript and other documents, including JS’s original complaints, to the circuit court. In May 1843, during the circuit court’s next session, Hunter’s attorney motioned to dismiss the suit. The court granted the dismissal on the grounds that the municipal court lacked jurisdiction and ordered Nauvoo to pay Hunter’s court costs.

See also Introduction to City of Nauvoo v. Hunter.