Preview

Compare And Contrast Federalists And Midnight Judges

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
210 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Compare And Contrast Federalists And Midnight Judges
In the last days of his presidency, John Adams tried to fill the judiciary with so-called “midnight judges”. All of Adams’ judges were Federalists - those who favored a strong national government. However, Thomas Jefferson became the President before all the commissions were delivered; many of the Federalist judges never got their jobs. Thomas Jefferson, unlike Adams, was a Democratic Republican, the party that opposed Federalist ideals. William Marbury, a Federalist judge who never got his judge, decided to sue James Madison, who was Jefferson’s secretary of state that refused to deliver the commissions. Chief Justice John Marshall, however, decided that the Supreme Court did not have the power to order officials to properly fulfill their

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    REASONS: Chief Justice Marshall delivered the opinions of the court. When a commission has been signed by the President the appointment is made and the commission is complete when the seal of the United States has been affixed to it by the secretary of state. Because he was appointed and it was sealed by the secretary of state, he was appointed. However, to withhold his commission therefore is an act deemed by the court not warranted by law, but violative of a vested legal right. He is entitled to the remedy for which he applies.…

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    What was the case: Marbury was a soon-to-be appointed justice of the peace when Adam’s presidency came to an end, resulting in his successor, Thomas Jefferson denying credibility of the appointments because they were not completed during the time of Adam’s presidency. Jefferson’s Secretary of State, James Madison, was asked to allow the commissions.…

    • 987 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Case Study: Marbury V. US

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Madison, 5 U.S. 137, 1 Cranch 137, 2 L. Ed. 60 (1803)). Marbury has a right to this commission due to it being the last act and sealed by the Secretary of State. The Judiciary department job is to say what law is. In this case they have to interpret whether President Jefferson is breaking a law by not allowing Marbury to assume his duties as the Justice of Peace. The Judiciary department will ensure that two laws do not conflict if it does the court will decide the operations of each law. “If courts are to regard the Constitution, and the Constitution is superior to any ordinary act of the legislature, the Constitution, and not such ordinary act, must govern the case to which they both apply.” (See, e.g. Cheney v. United States Dist. Court For D.C. (03-475) 542 U.S. 367 (2004) 334 F.3d…

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Because of this decision, Marshall is left with a very important question “. . . whether Marbury had a remedy for the deprivation of the right [commission]” (249). The Judiciary Act of 1789 allowed the use of writs of mandamus. The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court was limited and was not given on the cases of a mandamus. The only way the Supreme Court could use a mandamus was if the Congress gave them power where the constitution did not; or if “the action for mandamus in the Supreme Court was not in the commencement of an original proceeding but a form of appeal from the official against whom the writ was being sought”…

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The case Marbury v. Madison highlights the issue of an end of term appointee of President John Adams who didn’t ascend to the office upon the assumption of the presidency by Thomas Jefferson. Marbury sued the then secretary of state James Madison for failing to execute the commission. According to the Law, the supreme court has the authority of reviewing both executive and legislative orders. The court, however, has limited jurisdiction that is bounded by the Constitution and cannot be enlarged by the Congress.…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marshall’s ruling for Marbury v Madison was one of the most controversial decisions to ever be handed down from the Supreme Court. The landmark decision ultimately made the Judicial branch the most powerful branch because of the judicial review. With judicial review the Supreme Court has the ability to interpret the Constitution or any law any way that the court sees fit accordance to the law. Marshall’s ruling was clear and concise. Marbury did have the right to his appoint under law. Marbury had the right to seek a remedy because he deemed himself injured but the Supreme Court could not issue the writ because it was not of original jurisdiction. If Marbury was to have went through a lower level court, the court would have issued the writ and taken his appointment as the chief justice of…

    • 687 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    On the other hand, Thomas Jefferson was head of the Republican Party, and our 3rd president who expected John Adams (our second president) to fill in the vacancies before his term ended, and refuse to honor Adams wishes. John Adams decided to go against him, and fill in the positions with Federalists. Jefferson was unaware of Adams hires, and became upset when he found out that the entire Judiciary was filled with all his enemies, and an excessive number of judges of peace for Columbia. Madison, however; only appointed 30 representatives to be delivered, and denied the commissioner to the other twelve. This disappointed the federalists enough to joint together through the courts to abolish Jefferson, which made four of the commissioners of…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1801, John Marshall was named as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He held that position until he died in 1835. Very early during Marshalls time in the Supreme Court, Marshall made the doctrine of judicial review in handing down the Courts ruling in Marbury v. Madison. The Judicial review is the doctrine that allows United States courts to review state and federal laws and regulations and decide if they are Constitutional and strike down laws and regulations courts decide are unconstitutional. The thing is about the Judicial review is that it is was not found in the Constitution and through his ruling Marshall created a power that was not explicitly given to either the judicial branch or the Supreme Court. Marshall, then, through his decision in Marbury v. Madison, gave in one of the best decisions he made to the Supreme Court/judicial branch on the executive and legislative branches. The ability to declare the actions, laws and regulations of those branches unconstitutional. The Fletcher v. Peck case in 1810, was the first time in history that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a State law…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When Jefferson took office in 1801 the republicans controlled both the Executive and the Legislative branch, the Judicial Branch on the other hand was still largely controlled by the Federalists. John Adams knew this was coming so he wanted to make sure the federalists keep the Judicial branch, he made the Judiciary Act of 1801, where Adams assigned new justices to the supreme court every night until the day of Jefferson’s Inauguration. These legal documents were called “midnight appointments” that sat on the president’s desk when Jefferson took office so, the supreme court could not do anything about them. Jefferson took the easy choice and kept these documents from the reach of the supreme court by handing them to Madison, and even though…

    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this case, William Marbury was appointed by President Adams to serve as a Justice of the Peace (History.com staff, 2009). However, Secretary of State James Madison chose to not send in his commission at all (History.com staff, 2009). Because Madison refused to send in William Marbury’s commission to become a Justice of the Peace, Marbury chose to petition the United States Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus to have Madison explain the reason why he chose not to deliver his commission (History.com staff, 2009). After the reviewing the case, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Marbury’s action was deemed unconstitutional since the court had no jurisdiction over this case under the United States Constitution (History.com staff, 2009).…

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marbury V. Madison

    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Just before finishing his term, former President John Adams named forty-two justices of the peace and sixteen new circuit court justices for the District of Columbia, William Marbury was one of these named justices. Their nominations were confirmed by the senate and their commissions had been signed by John Adams, before he left office, but the commissions were not delivered before the expiration of Adams’s term. Testimonies submitted by witnesses proved the existence of the commissions. The incoming president, Thomas Jefferson, appointed James Madison as secretary of state. As secretary of state, Madison refused to deliver the confirmations of Marbury and three others.…

    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marshal Court's

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Supreme Court has acted as a partisan political body instead of enforcing the constitution. Throughout the period of 1800 – 1830 the Marshall court was in order. Where John Marshall took over, and was high in most people’s eyes. Yet there was a major flaw. Most of his decisions in the court cases were bias, and more in favor of Federalist ideas and views. People are, by nature, bias. It takes remarkable training and will power to overcome ones natural prejudices.…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    His tenor in the court lasted from 1801 to shortly before his death in 1835 and was responsible, largely, for how the Supreme Court functions and its role as the guardian of the Constitution. There were several factors of Marshall’s leadership that helped gain the strength of the judicial branch including seeking out advice from Associate Judges and his ability to accept and encourage the ideas of newcomers but the solidification of the Courts responsibility of judicial review along with Chief Justice Marshall’s concept of unitary opinions helped to develop the overall strength and importance of the Supreme Court. (Johnson, 1998, p. 7) Marbury v. Madison was the landmark decision that reinforced their…

    • 1965 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Marbury V. Madison

    • 266 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Marbury v. Madison is viewed as the most important case in the U.S. Supreme Court history. The important constitutional principle that was established by U.S. Supreme Court, was to use the idea of “Judicial Review”, which is the power of federal courts to void acts of Congress in conflict with the Constitution. Under Justice Marshall, the court began its ascent as equal in power to the congress and president. Jefferson as the new president, did not want appointees from the opposing party taking the new appointments in office. Therefore, he told James Madison not to deliver the commissions to seventeen of the appointees which were appointed by outgoing President Adams. One of the appointees was William Marbury, who did not receive his commission…

    • 266 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Federal Judges

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Federal judges are appointed by the United States President and is confirmed by the Senate, including the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. The United States court system uses different kinds of judges for different purposes and at different levels including city, county, state, and federal. Most judges are usually elected moat the local level, however, federal judges are appointed. Federal judges have the authority and discretion over all the cases that are involved in federal law and the U.S. Constitution. At the moment there are currently 865 federal judges in the United States, who sit at different levels of the system. The American Bar Association, also known as, the ABA, maintains a list of candidates to be a federal judge. THe ABA…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays