“You seem…to consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions; a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and on which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy.  Our judges are as honest as other men, and not more so.  They have, with others, the same passions for party, for power, and the privilege of the corps…Their power [is] the more dangerous as they are in office for life, and not responsible  as the other functionaries are, to the elective control.  The Constitution has erected no such singe tribunal, knowing that to whatever hands confided, with the corruptions of time and party, its members would become despots.”

Jefferson in a letter to William Jarvis in 1820  (Thanks, Jan Mikelson, WHO radio)