Background Information

• Prior Restraint— Government restricting publication of material before it is published.

  • The US does NOT have this

• Per Curiam— Court order issued in the name of the Court rather than specific justices.

  • Opinion offered unanimously rather than one justice writing the opinion

  • There are still concurring and dissenting opinions with this

• Pentagon Papers— Reports on the government’s involvement in Vietnam, including things that were being covered up by the government.

Court Case

• NY Times was prohibited from printing the story, but the Washington Post was allowed to by their respective courts

• Because of the discrepancies, the case was taken to the Supreme Court

• SCOTUS ruled in favor of allowing the newspapers to continue printing as the story was not helping an enemy or undermining the government, but informing the people