Subject: Jurisdiction

This issue of the National Intelligencer, published in Washington, D.C., on March 15, 1821, features extensive coverage of the landmark Supreme Court case, Cohens v. Virginia. The article details the case, which involved the brothers Cohen's conviction for violating Virginia's lottery laws despite the legality of their activities under an act of Congress. The newspaper provides a comprehensive report of the legal arguments and the court's decision, including discussions on the Supreme Court's jurisdiction over state supreme court decisions in criminal matters and the supremacy of federal law. The issue also contains a Cohen lottery advertisement, an ironic juxtaposition given the case's subject matter.