text: Cohens v. Virginia \nCohens v. Virginia, 19 U.S. 264 (1821), was a United States Supreme Court decision most noted for the Marshall Court's assertion of its power to review state supreme court decisions in criminal law matters. The Court had previously asserted a similar jurisdiction over civil cases in Martin v. Hunter's Lessee, 14 U.S. 304 (1816).\n\nIn this case, the Cohens were prosecuted successfully by the state of Virginia for selling lottery tickets from the District of Columbia in Virginia, thereby violating Virginia state law. The Supreme Court upheld their convictions.\n\n\nSee also\nList of United States Supreme Court cases \n\nReferences\nJean Edward Smith, John Marshall: Definer Of A Nation, New York: Henry Holt & Company, 1996. \n\nExternal links\nLII: full text of Cohens v. Virginia \nFull text of the decision courtesy of Findlaw.com