Stuart v. Laird

In 1802, Congress repealed the Judiciary Act of 1801, eliminating the circuit courts and circuit judges the earlier act had created, and then passed the Judiciary Act of 1802, authorizing Supreme Court justices to sit on circuit courts instead. A party petitioned to overturn a circuit court judgment, arguing that the 1802 repeal was unconstitutional; the circuit court, with Justice Marshall presiding, rejected the petition, and the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari.