Marshall Court Decisions:

 

Marbury v. Madison:

        asserted the Supreme Court the power of judicial review over federal

            laws

        Court cannot issue writs of mandamus as they aren’t in the constitution

 

Fletcher v. Peck:

        Georgia legislature sold lands at extremely low prices to companies

        land sales were rescinded by the next legislature on the grounds of fraud

        many people had conflicting claims: Fletcher and Peck were two of them

        Peck sold land to Fletcher, after the rescinding, Fletcher wanted his $

                back because Peck didn’t have legal title to the land

        Marshall ruled that the original contract was valid, even though it was

                fraudulent which nullified the rescinding law made by the

                legislature

        in short, the state law impaired a contract which is unconstitutional,

                therefore the state law is unconstitutional (the first time the

                Supreme Court declared state law unconstitutional)

 

Martin v. Hunter’s Lessee

        Jay’s Treaty protected British owned lands in Virginia from confiscation

                by the state, which the state did anyway

        the case centered around conflicting land claims: Martin claimed the

                lands  by inheritance from a British landholder, and Hunter who

                had received the lands from the state after their expropriation

        Virginia argued that states are the equals of the federal govt. so neither

                can over-rule the other

        Supreme Court ruled that they derive their authority from the people, not

                the states; therefore the one Constitution which is interpreted by

                one tribunal must apply uniformly throughout the U.S.

        in short: Supremes can overrule the authority of state court decisions

 

Dartmouth College v. Woodward

        New Hampshire legislature revised the charter of Dartmouth College

                (which was granted under the British govt.) to reduce federalist

                control and policies of the Board of Trustees

        Trustees brought suit to regain control of the college

        Marshall ruled that the change in the charter was unconstitutional

                because it was an impairment of a private contract which is

                forbidden by the Constitution

        in short: this decision strongly reduced state interference in corporations

 

McCullough v. Maryland

        Maryland’s legislature taxed all banks that weren’t chartered by the

                state,including the Second Bank of the United States

        National bank’s cashier McCullough refused to pay the state tax

        at issue was whether a state could tax a federal institution, and whether

                the Bank was legal under the constitution

        Marshall’s decision was that the delegated power to coin money implied

                the power to create a bank and “the power to tax involves the

                power to destroy” so the state cannot tax a federal agency

        in short: the Bank is Constitutional and cannot be taxed by a state

 

Cohens v. Virginia

        The Cohens were convicted of illegally selling Federal lottery tickets in    

                Virginia (they were supposed to be sold only in Washington D.C.)

        Virginia claimed the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction under the 11th

                amendment (which prohibits federal jurisdiction in suits by citizens

                of one state against the government of another state)

        Marshall decided that the 11th amendment didn’t apply because the

                initiated the suit; the Cohens conviction was upheld

        in short: reiterated the power of the Supremes to review state court

                decisions in cases that raise constitutional issues

 

Gibbons v. Ogden

        NY state attempted to grant a monopoly rights to Ogden’s steamboat

                company

        Gibbons had been operating a steamboat under federal license in NY

                waters

        the issue was whether a state could grant a monopoly over interstate

                waters

        Marshall ruled that  the commerce clause of the Constitution included

                transportation and navigation; and federal laws were superior to

                 regulations on the subject of interstate commerce

        in short: interstate commerce and transportation is the domain of the

                federal govt.