Martin v. Hunter’s Lessee

Martin (plaintiff) brought a land dispute against Hunter's Lessee (defendant) in Virginia state court in 1791; the Virginia Court of Appeals ruled for Hunter in 1810. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed in 1813 under Section 25 of the Judiciary Act, which gave it appellate jurisdiction over state-court decisions, but the Virginia courts refused to comply, arguing that provision was itself unconstitutional. The Supreme Court took the case up again to resolve the question.