, ▁ 1 9 ▁U . S . ▁( 6 ▁Whe at .) ▁ 2 6 4 ▁( 1 8 2 1 ), ▁is ▁a ▁land mark ▁case ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁most ▁notable ▁for ▁the ▁Court ' s ▁assertion ▁of ▁its ▁power ▁to ▁review ▁state ▁supre me ▁court ▁dec isions ▁in ▁criminal ▁law ▁matters ▁when ▁the ▁def endant ▁claims ▁that ▁their ▁Constitution al ▁rights ▁have ▁been ▁viol ated . ▁The ▁Court ▁had ▁previously ▁assert ed ▁a ▁similar ▁juris diction ▁over ▁civil ▁cases ▁involving ▁American ▁parties . ▁ ▁The ▁case ▁involved ▁a ▁prominent ▁Baltimore ▁bank ing ▁family , ▁a ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁and ▁two ▁U . S . ▁Representatives ▁as ▁att or ne ys ▁for ▁the ▁oppos ing ▁sides , ▁and ▁was ▁centered ▁on ▁two ▁defend ants , ▁M endes ▁J . ▁C ohen ▁and ▁Philip ▁J . ▁C ohen , ▁who ▁would ▁later ▁rise ▁to ▁the ▁positions ▁of ▁U . S . ▁Post master ▁( Ph il ip ), ▁and ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁Colonel ▁and ▁Maryland ▁De legate ▁( M endes ). ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Congress ▁passed ▁a ▁bill ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁National ▁Lot tery , ▁to ▁raise ▁money ▁for ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia , ▁and ▁which ▁was ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁municipal ▁government . ▁Virginia , ▁mean while , ▁had ▁created ▁its ▁own ▁state ▁lot ter ies , ▁and ▁passed ▁a ▁law ▁to ▁prohib it ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁out - of - state ▁lot tery ▁tick ets . ▁ ▁Philip ▁and ▁M endes ▁C ohen ▁were