Near v. Minnesota (1931)

1) Link to the Actual Opinion
Read the U.S. Reports opinion (PDF)

2) Summary of the Opinion
Jay Near published a scandal sheet accusing local officials of corruption. Minnesota tried to shut down his paper under a “public nuisance” law. The Supreme Court struck down the law, ruling that it imposed unconstitutional prior restraint on the press.

3) Why It Mattered
This was the first major case protecting freedom of the press from state censorship. It established that government generally cannot stop publications before they’re printed.