Once the dust of the Revolution settled, the problem of reconciling the erstwhile warring factions arose, and as is often the case in the aftermath of violent revolutions, the matter made its way into the legal arena. Rutgers v. Waddington was such a case. Through this little-known but remarkable dispute over back rent for a burned-down brewery, Peter Charles Hoffer recounts a tale of political and constitutional intrigue involving some of the most important actors in America's transition from a confederation of states under the Articles of Confederation to a national republic under...

In 1795, the Georgia legislature sold the state's western lands (present-day Alabama and Mississippi) to four private land companies. A year later, amid revelations of bribery, a newly elected legislature revoked the sale. This book tells the story of how the great Yazoo lands sale gave rise to the 1810 case in which the Supreme Court, under Chief Justice John Marshall, for the first time ruled the action of a state to be in violation of the Constitution, specifically the contract clause.

Truly a landmark case, Fletcher v. Peck established judicial review of state legislative...

This new edition upon the 50th anniversary of In re Gault includes expanded coverage of the Roberts Court's juvenile justice decisions including Miller v. Alabama; explains how disregard for children's constitutional rights led to the "Kids for Cash" scandal in Pennsylvania; new legal developments in the Gault case; and, updates the bibliography and chronology.

When fifteen-year-old Gerald Gault of Globe, Arizona, allegedly made an obscene phone call to a neighbor, he was arrested by the local police, tried in a proceeding that did not require his accuser's testimony, and...

Relates the story behind Marbury v Madison and explains why it is a foundational case for understanding the US Supreme Court. Nelson reveals how John Marshall deftly avoided a dangerous political confrontation between the executive and judicial branches by upholding the rule of law, and how he managed to shore up the Court's prestige and power rather than have it serve partisan political agendas.

Relates the story behind Marbury v Madison and explains why it is a foundational case for understanding the US Supreme Court. Nelson reveals how John Marshall deftly avoided a dangerous political confrontation between the executive and judicial branches by upholding the rule of law, and how he managed to shore up the Court's prestige and power rather than have it serve partisan political agendas.