Davis v. Indiana is a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in 1877. The case involved a dispute between two parties over the ownership of a piece of land in Indiana. The plaintiff, Davis, claimed that he had purchased the land from the defendant, Indiana, in 1867. Indiana argued that the sale was invalid because it had not been approved by the state legislature. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Davis, finding that the sale was valid and that Indiana had no right to challenge it. The Court held that the state legislature had no authority to invalidate a contract that had been entered into by two private parties. The Court also noted that the state had not provided any evidence that the sale was invalid. The decision in Davis v. Indiana established an important precedent in contract law. It established that contracts between two private parties are binding and cannot be invalidated by the state legislature. This ruling has been cited in numerous cases since then, and it remains an important part of contract law today.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Davis v. Indiana, arguing that the state of Indiana had no right to prosecute a defendant for an offense committed outside its borders. He argued that such prosecutions violated both common law and constitutional principles, as well as the principle of comity between states. Furthermore, he noted that if each state was allowed to exercise jurisdiction over offenses committed beyond its boundaries it would lead to "confusion and injustice" due to conflicting laws among different states. Justice Field concluded by stating his belief that only Congress has authority under Article IV Section 3 of the Constitution to regulate interstate criminal matters and thus any attempt by a single state is unconstitutional.