Home > Great American Court Cases > Marbury v. Madison

Legal Citation: 5 U.S. 137 (1803)

Plaintiffs
William Marbury, William Harper, Robert R. Hooe, Dennis Ramsay

Defendant
James Madison, U.S. Secretary of State

Plaintiffs' Claim
That Madison had illegally refused to deliver judicial commissions to their rightful recipients.

Chief Lawyer for Plaintiffs
Charles Lee

Chief Defense Lawyer
Levi Lincoln, U.S. Attorney General

Justices for the Court
Samuel Chase, William Cushing, John Marshall (writing for the Court), William Paterson, Bushrod Washington

Justices Dissenting
None (Alfred Moore did not participate)

Place
Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision
24 February 1803

Decision
Plaintiffs could not force Madison to deliver the commissions because the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional.