In the case of Jordan v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1911, the U.S Supreme Court upheld a decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that convicted William H. Jordan for murder and sentenced him to death. The defense argued that his constitutional rights were violated because he was not allowed to testify in his own trial due to an existing state law prohibiting defendants from testifying on their behalf in capital cases. However, this argument was rejected by both courts as they ruled that it did not violate any federal laws or constitutionally protected rights since states have broad powers over procedural matters related to criminal trials within their jurisdiction.

In the dissenting opinion for Jordan v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it was argued that the state's law requiring vaccination as a condition for public school attendance infringed upon personal liberty and parental rights. The justice believed that compulsory vaccination laws were an overreach of government power, violating individual freedom to make decisions about one's own health and body. Furthermore, they contended that parents should have the right to decide whether or not their children receive vaccinations without facing penalties such as exclusion from public education. They expressed concern about setting a precedent where states could mandate medical procedures under threat of punishment, potentially leading to further encroachments on personal liberties in future cases.