Alexandrine Mager, Widow Collard, was the opponent and plaintiff in a succession case of John Mager. She argued that she should be given her late husband's estate as his widow. Felix Grima was the testamentary executor of John Mager's last will and testament who opposed Alexandrine's claim to the estate. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of Alexandrine, granting her rights to her late husband’s estate as his surviving spouse under Louisiana law at that time. This ruling established an important precedent for inheritance laws across America by recognizing a woman’s right to inherit from their deceased husbands even if it is not explicitly stated in their wills or other legal documents.

In the dissenting opinion of this US Supreme Court case, Justice McLean argued that the Louisiana law which granted a widow's dower rights in her deceased husband's estate was unconstitutional. He believed that it violated Article IV Section 3 of the Constitution, which states that no state shall pass any law impairing the obligation of contracts. The Louisiana law allowed for a widow to claim an interest in her husband’s property even if he had already disposed of it through his will or other means prior to his death. This meant that she could override any contractual arrangements made by him before his passing and thus impaired them. Justice McLean felt strongly about protecting contract obligations as they were essential for commerce and economic stability within society; therefore, he concluded that such laws should not be upheld by federal courts as they are contrary to constitutional principles.