Criminal law in the Taney Court

Chief Justice Roger B. Taney
History of U.S. federal criminal law
By Court

The Taney Court (the Supreme Court of the United States under Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, 1836–1864) heard thirty criminal law cases, approximately one per year. Notable cases include Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842),[1] United States v. Rogers (1846),[2] Ableman v. Booth (1858),[3] Ex parte Vallandigham (1861),[4] and United States v. Jackalow (1862).[5]

Like its predecessor, the Taney Court exercised only limited appellate jurisdiction in criminal cases. Like its predecessor, it heard original habeas petitions, writs of error from the state courts, and certificates of division from the circuit courts. In addition, unlike its predecessor, the Court heard two writs of error from the territorial courts and three prerogative writs of mandamus and prohibition in criminal matters. The Court denied every petition for a prerogative writ that it received, habeas or otherwise.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Prigg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Rogers was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ableman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Vallandigham was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jackalow was invoked but never defined (see the help page).