Judicial Act Of 1801 Essay

The Judiciary Act of 1801 was, “An Act to provide for the more convenient organization of the Courts of the United States.” The Judiciary Act of 1801 reduced the size of the Supreme Court from six justices to five and eliminated the justices’ circuit duties. This act replaced the justices on the circuit, by creating 16 judge ships for six judicial circuits. The U.S. Circuit Courts over which the new judges were to preside, gained jurisdiction over all cases arising under the Constitution and the acts of the United States. John Adams, leader of the Federalists, signed the Judiciary Act into law on February 13th, 1801. John Adams, did this less than three weeks before the end of his presidency and the start of the Jefferson presidency. The hastily confirmed appointees to the circuit courts earned the label “Midnight Judges” as Jeffersonian Republicans accused the Federalists of packing the courts following their defeat in the elections of 1800 (History of the Federal Judiciary n.d.). The newly elected president, Thomas Jefferson, and the Republican majority in the Seventh …show more content…
In 1802, the Republican controlled congress, repealed the judiciary act of 1801, and so abolished the circuit judgeships and other offices to which John Adams had made his “midnight appointment (Shi &Tindall, 2013, P.331, …show more content…
Madison in 1803. This was the first case in which the Supreme Court declared a federal law unconstitutional. The case involved the appointment of William Marbury, Maryland Federalist and prominent land speculator, as justice of the peace in the District of Columbia. Unfortunately, Marbury’s letter of appointment signed by President Adams two days before he left office, was undelivered by Madison. Madison, who was directed to withhold the letter of appointment from Marbury by the ensuing President, Thomas Jefferson (Shi &Tindall, 2013, P.331,