Wisconsin v Yoder
Three Amish children in Wisconsin did not attend school after 8th grade because it went against the religious beliefs of their families. However, state law in Wisconsin requires that all children need to attend schooling at least until age 16. Secondary education and beyond was only an impediment to these Amish people because they felt that a home education would provide better results. With this, the Amish families used the Free Exercise Clause (religious liberties) to compare this logic with individual rights.
Breakdown Verdict.
A 6-3 verdict and a per curiam (by the whole court) authoring of the opinion determined that the New York Times was, in fact, practicing a legal rendering of the First Amendment. The “security” aspect of withholding the Pentagon Papers was seen as a widely vague argument, and the justices felt that ruling in the favor of the United States would justify censorship. Documents could only be undisclosed if they bring an “inevitable, direct, and immediate event imperiling American forces.” That said, common restrictions would continue to prevent espionage or truly hazardous publications of objectively confidential documents.
Result Going Forward.
The ruling for the New York Times allowed them to continue publishing the Pentagon Papers, which exposed many governmental figures and formed distrust between the people and the American system. The First Amendment was protected in this case, allowing the press to publish with increased transparency. National security in relation to individual freedoms of entities and individuals continues to be a moving line in the modern world.
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