1. But by no standard less important!
Inferior Courts
But by no standard less important!

2. The Inferior Courts District Courts The Court of Appeals
The Other Courts
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3. District Courts Federal cases are first tried in District Courts.
District courts have original Jurisdiction
District Courts can hear criminal and civil cases.
87% of case load deals with civil cases.
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4. Courts of Appeals The Supreme Court used to hear all appeals cases.
By 1887, it was 4 years behind on the docket.
The Federal Courts of Appeals were established to help with the work load.
The purpose is to review a case if a federal law was applied incorrectly.
No new evidence, no witnesses and no juries.
Courts can uphold, reverse and remand decisions.
Handles nearly 55,000 cases.
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5. The Court of International Trade
It hears civil cases arising out of tariff and other trade related laws.

6. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Established to centralize, and so speed up, the handling of appeals in certain kinds of civil cases. Hears cases from all across the country. That is, it has a nationwide jurisdiction.

7. Judicial Review

8. Marbury VS Madison

9. Arguments of the Two Marbury
Marbury sued for the delivery of his commission.
Based his appeal on the Judiciary Act of 1789.
Madison
As the new Secretary of State, Madison shelved Marbury’s commission after Marbury was appointed Justice of the Peace.
William Marbury, one of the midnight judges, was appointed Justice of the Peace under John Adams as Adams worked heavily in his last night of office. Marbury never received the commission for his appointment, so new Secretary of state James Madison never delivered it. Marbury sued for a writ of mandamus, a right supposedly given by the Judiciary Act of Madison refused and the case was immediately sent to the Supreme Court, an extremely uncommon occurrence.

10. Marshall’s Ruling
John Marshall, the Head Supreme Court Justice at the time, dismissed Marbury’s suit. As Marbury based his appeal on the Judiciary Act of 1789, Marshall declared part of the act unconstitutional. Marshall declared that Congress did not have the power to change the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction.
This led Marshall to dismiss
the case.
Marbury examined the Judiciary Act. While it said that the writ was a legal function that was due to Marbury, it gave the Supreme Court jurisdiction over Writs of Mandamus. Marshall then examined Article III of the Constitution and looked at the Supreme Court’s original jurisdictions. It listed nothing of writs of Mandamus. Marshall declared that Congress could not revise the Supreme Court’s jurisdictions in a piece of legislation. Marshall was obligated to uphold the Constitution above the piece of legislation due to the Supremacy Clause.

11. The Results
The Judiciary Act declared that a Writ of Mandamus be delivered but this was found unconstitutional. Marbury was never made a Justice of the Peace.
William Marbury was very upset over the outcome of his suit, as one could imagine. The Supreme Court stated that Section 13 of the Judiciary Act was unconstitutional and thus, invalid. Madison never delivered the writ and Marbury never saw his position as Justice of the Peace.

12. Significance
Marshall’s decision created a policy that had not existed to that date. With Marshall’s ruling the policy of Judicial Review was established.
To that date, the Supreme Court had never declared a piece of legislation as unconstitutional. The decision is of paramount importance in United States judicial history. Judicial review is one of the key policies in our legal system, and one that keeps the other two branches from passing unfair legislation.

13. What is Judicial Review?
Judicial review is the power of the judicial branch to invalidate actions made by the legislative and executive branches.
Judicial review is a key power of the Supreme Court. The policy has been used in cases such as Marbury v. Madison, the Dredd Scott Case, and The United States vs. Richard Nixon. The policy of Judicial Review has set the Supreme Court apart as the final word on matters of constitutionality. While the Supreme Court has the power to declare acts unconstitutional, other courts have the power to evaluate the legality of other actions made by lower courts under judicial review.

14. Criticism
Thomas Jefferson originally disagreed with Marshall’s ruling. Marshall’s logic for Judicial Review has been argued heavily in history. Certain individuals say that the court was improper in examining any matters beyond jurisdiction.
Jefferson and Marshall were life long rivals and ones that almost hardly agreed. Through the dismissal of the case, Marshall labeled Jefferson as a violator of civil rights, as Jefferson had passed a law into effect that had violated the Constitution. Marshall, the last Federalist, would stay in his position all throughout Jefferson’s term.

15. Is Marbury V. Madison the most significant Supreme Court Case of all time?
While some would argue to the contrary, Marbury v. Madison is the most important decision ever rendered by the Supreme Court. It asserted the Supreme Court’s powers and labeled their jurisdictions. Without judicial review, the legal system of the United States would be much different.
Marbury v. Madison gave Supreme Court Complete and final control over constitutionality of legislation. For this reason it is historically significant.