HOME > First Amendment Library > Case   Prince v. Massachusetts (docket #: 98) (1944)  [Findlaw] Argument Date 12/14/1943 Decided 01/31/1944 Supreme Court Vote 5-4 Supreme Court Ruling Free Exercise Claim denied.   Issue Whether Massachusetts’ child labor laws, stating no boy under the age of twelve and no girl under eighteen shall sell, expose or offer for sale any newspaper, magazines, periodicals, contravene the Fourteenth Amendment by denying or abridging appellant’s freedom of religion. Majority Opinion Rutledge, J. Dissenting Opinion Jackson, J., & Roberts, J. (joined by Frankfurter, J.), & Murphy, J. Lower Court Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia Lower Court Ruling Free Expression Clause claim denied. Oral Arguments audio record  [Oyez] Lawyers For Petitioner Hayden C. Covington For Respondent R.T. Bushnell Opinion - Lower Court Commonwealth v. Prince, 313 Mass. 223 News Woods, Lewis, "Jehovahites Lose In Supreme Court; Decision, 5 to 4, Sustains State in Barring Minors from Sale of Pamphlets in Streets," New York Times, Feb. 1, 1944, pg. 21 Other Tribe, Laurence, AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW (22nd ed., 1988) sect. 14.3 Witte, John, Jr., RELIGION AND THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL EXPERIMENT (2000), pp. 129-130  SEARCH MORE About this site About the First Amendment About the First Amendment Center How to contribute Video/RSS/podcasts First Amendment programs State of the First Amendment reports Religious liberty in public schools First Reports Supreme Court Columnists Experts First Amendment publications First Amendment Center history Glossary Freedom Sings™ Events First Amendment Schools Congressional Research Service reports Guest editorials FOI material The First Amendment Library Lesson plans freedomforum.org Newseum Contact us Privacy statement Related links