In the case of Choctaw Nation of Indians v. United States et al., 1942, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Choctaw Nation. The dispute centered around a treaty signed between the U.S. government and the Choctaw tribe in 1830, which promised to compensate them for their lands east of Mississippi River that they had ceded to make way for white settlers. However, there were disagreements over how much compensation was due under this treaty's terms. In its decision, the court held that an earlier ruling by a lower court had incorrectly interpreted one provision within this agreement and thus underestimated what was owed to these Native Americans by $1 million (equivalent value at that time). This landmark judgment underscored federal courts' responsibility towards ensuring fair treatment for indigenous tribes when interpreting treaties with them.

In the dissenting opinion for CHOCTAW NATION OF INDIANS v. UNITED STATES et al., 1942, Justice Frank Murphy argued that the majority's decision was a departure from established principles of justice and fairness in dealing with Native American tribes. He contended that the Choctaw Nation had been deprived of their lands without fair compensation by the U.S government, which violated treaties between them. The majority ruled based on technicalities rather than addressing these substantive issues, according to Murphy. He also criticized how Congress handled this case as it failed to provide clear guidelines or standards for determining what constitutes "fair and reasonable" compensation for tribal lands taken by eminent domain. This lack of clarity led to an unfair ruling against Choctaw Nation who were not adequately compensated for their lost land rights.