Near v. Minnesota

Near v. Minnesota (1931) was a landmark Supreme Court case that established that government cannot prevent the publication of newspapers or other media before they print content, especially when it involves criticism of officials or speech. The case involved a Minnesota law targeting "malicious" publishers, which was used to shut down the "Saturday Press." The Court ruled such prior restraint unconstitutional, affirming that freedom of the press is fundamental and that government action to censor or suppress speech must be carefully justified. This case reinforced protections against censorship and supported the First Amendment rights of the press.