The term 'SCOTT IN A COURT CASE' can be summarized as a reference to the landmark Supreme Court case of Dred Scott v. Sandford, which was decided in 1857. The case involved Dred Scott, an enslaved African American man who sued for his freedom after being taken by his owner into free states. The Supreme Court ruled that Scott was not a citizen and could not sue in federal court, thus denying him his freedom.