The Reid v.
Covert case established that the U.S.
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Constitution, not international treaties, is the supreme law of the land.
The case involved the murder trial of a U.S.
citizen civilian, the wife of a U.S.
serviceman, by a U.S.
military court-martial while living on a military base in England.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that U.S.
citizens, even when living abroad, cannot be tried by U.S.
military tribunals but must be afforded the constitutional protections of civilian courts.
The decision overturned two previous Supreme Court cases that had upheld the military's jurisdiction over civilian dependents abroad.
The Court found that the Fifth and Sixth Amendments, guaranteeing due process and the right to a jury trial, apply to U.S.
citizens worldwide, not just within U.S.
territorial limits.
The ruling limited the jurisdiction of U.S.
military courts over civilians and reaffirmed the supremacy of the Constitution over international agreements.
The case arose from the 1953 murder trial of Mrs.
Clarice Covert, who was convicted by a U.S.
court-martial in England for killing her husband, a U.S.
Air Force sergeant.
The Court's decision effectively ended the practice of trying U.S.
civilian dependents by military tribunals and required their cases to be heard in civilian courts.
The ruling was a significant victory for proponents of individual rights and constitutional protections, even for U.S.
citizens living abroad.
The case highlighted the potential conflict between military jurisdiction and civilian legal rights, especially in the context of the Cold War and the growing U.S.
military presence overseas.
The decision in Reid v.
Covert was seen as a landmark affirmation of the Constitution's reach and a check on the expansion of military authority over civilians.
The case has continued to be influential in debates over the rights of U.S.
citizens, both at home and abroad, and the limits of military jurisdiction.