Zachary Hayes was a lawyer in Portsmouth, Virginia. In 1804, he represented slave-owner Charles Gillen's claim to the runaway slave, Jeremiah. Jeremiah's attorney, Alfred Douglas, built his defense on the idea that slavery was immoral, based on the erroneous idea that some humans were inferior to others. The centerpiece of this defense was the existence of the sims. While competent, Hayes never outmaneuvered Douglas. The judges ordered Jeremiah free.