Facts of the Case

The state of New York enacted a statute forbidding bakers to work more than 60 hours a week or 10 hours a day.

Question

Does the New York law violate the liberty protected by due process of the Fourteenth Amendment?

Conclusion

The Court invalidated the New York law. The majority (through Peckham) maintained that the statute interfered with the freedom of contract, and thus the Fourteenth Amendment's right to liberty afforded to employer and employee. The Court viewed the statute as a labor law; the state had no reasonable ground for interfering with liberty by determining the hours of labor.