New York Times Co. v. United States

U.S. Case Law

popularly The Pentagon Papers Case, 407 U.S. 713 (1971), removed an injunction against the New York Times designed to stop publication of classified government documents known as the Pentagon Papers. In what is regarded as one of the most significant prior restraint cases in history, the Supreme Court, in a 6–3 decision, held that the government had failed to demonstrate the “heavy burden of proof” needed to justify prior restraint of the press, thus freeing the newspaper to resume publishing the politically controversial material.