State laws in opposition to national laws are void. The U.S. Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction for any U.S. case and final say. Decided March 3, 1821. Opinion of the Court: John Marshall → go there Topic: Federalism. Cohens v. Virginia, 19 U.S. 264 (1821), is a landmark case by the Supreme Court of the United States that asserts the Court's power to review state supreme court decisions in criminal law matters if defendants claim that their constitutional rights have been violated. The Court had previously asserted a similar jurisdiction over civil cases involving U.S. parties. Wiki link