James Brown brought a case against Richard R. Keene in the Supreme Court of the United States, claiming that he had been wrongfully evicted from his property by Keene. Brown argued that he was entitled to compensation for being forced out of his home and land without due process or just cause. The court found in favor of Keene, ruling that since there was no written agreement between them regarding ownership rights, it could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt that Brown had any legal right to remain on the property. Furthermore, they determined that even if such an agreement did exist, it would have been invalidated by state law at the time as it lacked proper documentation and signatures from both parties involved. Ultimately, this decision established precedent for future cases involving disputes over real estate ownership rights with no formal contract present between two parties

In James Brown v. Richard R. Keene, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a state court had jurisdiction over an action brought by a non-resident plaintiff against a resident defendant in another state. The majority of the justices held that it did not have such jurisdiction and dismissed the case. Justice McLean dissented from this opinion, arguing that states should be allowed to exercise their own laws when dealing with cases between citizens of different states as long as they do not conflict with federal law or interfere with interstate commerce. He argued further that allowing each state to determine its own rules would promote uniformity among all jurisdictions and prevent forum shopping for favorable outcomes in other courts outside one's home state.