A few people did not like "Howl", or the graphic language Ginsberg used. They tried to have "Howl" banned, and they wanted Ginsberg to be prosecuted (given a court trial, then either fined or put in jail). Ginsberg went to trial, and the judge decided "Howl" was an important work, and told the truth about America at the time. The judge rejected the ban and cleared Ginsberg, who could then continue to publish and perform the poem.