Prince V. Massachusetts - Facts of The Case

Facts of The Case

A Jehovah's Witness woman named Sarah Prince was convicted for violating child labor laws. She was the guardian of a nine-year old girl, Betty M. Simmons, whom she had brought into a downtown area to preach on the streets. This preaching involved distributing literature in exchange for voluntary contributions. The child labor laws that she was charged with violating stipulated that no boys under 12 and no girls under 18 were permitted to sell literature or other goods on public thoroughfares.

There were three complaints filed against Prince:

1. Refusal to disclose her child's identity and age to a public officer whose duty was to enforce the statutes;
2. Furnishing the girl with magazines, knowing she was to sell them unlawfully, that is, on the street; and
3. As child's custodian, permitting her to work contrary to law.

Both Prince and her husband were ordained ministers and commonly took their children out to distribute religious literature. Prince argued that the state's child labor laws violated her Fourteenth Amendment rights to exercise her religion and her equal protection rights, in particular because the children themselves were ministers of their religion as well.