In Poulos v. New Hampshire (1952), the U.S Supreme Court upheld a Portsmouth, New Hampshire ordinance that required permits for public meetings in city parks and streets. The case was brought forward by George J. Poulos, who had been denied a permit to hold religious services in a public park because of an existing policy against such events on Sundays. He argued that this denial violated his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and religion. The court ruled 5-4 in favor of the state, asserting that while the First Amendment does protect free speech and assembly rights, it doesn't prevent states from imposing reasonable regulations on time, place or manner for these activities as long as they are content-neutral. The court found no evidence suggesting discrimination based on religious viewpoint since all groups were equally prohibited from using parks for meetings on Sundays. This decision affirmed governments' authority to regulate use of public spaces without infringing upon constitutional freedoms so long as those regulations do not discriminate between different types of speech or assembly.

In the dissenting opinion for Poulos v. New Hampshire, Justice William O. Douglas argued that the city ordinance requiring permits to hold religious meetings in public parks was unconstitutional as it gave too much discretion to local officials and could potentially be used to suppress certain religions or viewpoints. He contended that such a permit system should only be allowed if it is necessary for maintaining public order and safety, not simply because an event might cause inconvenience or annoyance. Furthermore, he emphasized that freedom of speech and religion are fundamental rights protected by the First Amendment which cannot be subjected to arbitrary restrictions imposed by local authorities under guise of administrative convenience or efficiency.