[3] In 1632 Herne defended Henry Sherfield in his trial in the Star-chamber for defacing a stained-glass window in St. Edmund's Church, Salisbury.
He was also counsel for William Prynne on his trial for the publication of Histrio-Mastix in February 1634, and for the warden of the Fleet Prison before a commission which sat to investigate alleged abuses in the management there, in March 1635.
He delivered a learned and eloquent speech for the defence on 11 October 1644, which was supposed at the time to have been composed by Matthew Hale, another of Laud's counsel.
[3] After the trial was over Herne visited Laud in the Tower of London, brought him his prayer-book, which was in Prynne's hands, and was consulted by him about his speech on the scaffold.
[3] The Learned Reading of John Herne, Esq., late of the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inne, upon the Statute of 23 H. 8, cap.