This is a partial chronological list of cases decided by the United States Supreme Court during the tenures of Chief Justices John Jay (October 19, 1789 – June 29, 1795), John Rutledge (August 12, 1795 – December 28, 1795), and Oliver Ellsworth (March 8, 1796 – December 15, 1800), respectively the Jay, Rutledge, and Ellsworth Courts.
Jay Court
Case nameCitationSummaryBeginning of active duty of Chief Justice John Jay, October 19, 1789Van Staphorst v. Maryland (1791) first docketed case of the Supreme Court, settled before argumentsWest v. Barnes first decision of the Supreme Court, strictly interpreting procedural filing requirements mandated by statute. Justices delivered five seriatim opinions.Georgia v. Brailsford A State may sue in the Supreme Court to enjoin payment of a judgment on foreign debt until it can be ascertained to whom the money belongsHayburn's Case justiciability and separation of powersGeorgia v. Brailsford suits in which states may be a party; continuation of Georgia v. Brailsford (1792)Chisholm v. Georgia first “major” case; federal jurisdiction over suits vs. states; state sovereign immunity; led to Eleventh AmendmentGeorgia v. Brailsford first jury trial in the Supreme Court; conclusion of Georgia v. Brailsford (1792) United States v. Todd (1794) Case regarding invalid pension of a Revolutionary War veteran.
The case was initially unpublished, a note paraphrasing the case was appended to the opinion in . A transcript of the records of the case is published in Washington and Lee Law Review.
Rutledge Court
Case nameCitationSummaryBeginning of active duty of Chief Justice John Rutledge, August 12, 1795 United States v. Peters Federal district court has no authority over a foreign privateer when the captured ship was not within its jurisdiction. Talbot v. Jansen United States citizens did not waive all claims to U.S. citizenship by either renouncing citizenship of an individual state or by becoming a citizen of another country.
Ellsworth Court
Case nameCitationSummaryBeginning of active duty of Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth, March 8, 1796 Hylton v. United States tax on carriages Hollingsworth v. Virginia ratification of Eleventh Amendment, presidential approval is unnecessary for Constitutional amendment Calder v. Bull ex post facto clause applies to criminal, not civil cases New York v. Connecticut 4 U.S. 1 (1799) first original jurisdiction suit between two States
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