Landmark Supreme Court Cases

The judicial system of the United States of America was first established by the framers in the Federal Convention in Philadelphia (1787). Delegates agreed that a national judiciary system was essential to carry out the interpretation of the constitution. Article III of the United States Constitution depicts the beginning of our current day judicial system, with quite a few adjustments over time.

As recorded by James Madison in his journal of the Constitutional Convention, the framers did not spend much time writing Article III because they thought that although an established judicial system would be necessary to carry out the "supreme law of the land" this branch of government could not pose a threat of tyranny as both the executive and legislative branch could. Article III was more specific in its protection of several rights and liberties, such as the guarantee of trial by jury in criminal cases and freedom from bills and attainder or vague charges of treason. Alexander Hamilton wrote that the judicial system established by the framers was by far the weakest branch of government and the "least dangerous." Although it was the intent of the framers to establish a coequal branch of government, the Supreme Court was not provided with the same amount of respect as the other two branches until several years later. My opinion is that the problem with the judicial system of the time was that even though the judicial system was established to be the supreme law of the land, they court was not given the jurisdiction necessary to carry out their respectful duties. George Washington appointed the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to be John Jay just two days after the Judiciary Act of 1789 was signed, a law which established a federal court system in the United States. (Thomas E. Patterson. Pp. 44)

John Jay was a citizen of New York who graduated from Kings College, present day, Columbia University, in 1764. As a young lawyer Jay was appointed to the New York Committee of Correspondence, the Continental Congress, and the New York Provincial Congress. He assisted in drafting a constitution for New York and served as the state's chief justice until 1779. Although John Jay would seem to be the elite candidate to take the seat of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, he significantly opposed independence from Britain. So much so, that his absence to signing the Declaration of Independence was noted by Thomas Jefferson. However, once the American Revolution was undertaken, Jay became an ardent supporter of the new nation. He later went to Paris, accompanied by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, to speak to Britain Commissioner Richard Oswald and demand independence for the New Nation.

When this was granted, John Jay returned to find that he had been appointed Secretary of State for foreign affairs. It was during this period of time that he contributed to the effort and support of the new Constitution as the author of several essays which are ...