District of Columbia v. Woodbury was a Supreme Court case that was decided in 1820. The case involved a dispute between the District of Columbia and a man named Woodbury, who had been convicted of a crime in the District. Woodbury argued that the District of Columbia did not have the authority to try him, as it was not a state and therefore did not have the power to try criminal cases. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the District of Columbia, holding that the District had the authority to try criminal cases, as it was a federal district and was subject to the laws of the United States. The Court also held that the District had the power to punish those convicted of crimes, as it was a federal district and was subject to the laws of the United States. The decision in this case established the precedent that the District of Columbia had the authority to try criminal cases and punish those convicted of crimes.

In the dissenting opinion of District of Columbia v. Woodbury, Justice Field argued that the majority’s decision was in direct violation of a law passed by Congress which granted exclusive jurisdiction to the Supreme Court over cases involving land titles within Washington D.C. He further argued that this law had been in effect since 1801 and should be respected as such, regardless of whether or not it conflicted with other laws or precedents set forth by earlier courts. Furthermore, he stated that even if there were any doubts about its validity due to changes made throughout history, those doubts should have been resolved through an appeal process rather than simply disregarding it altogether without proper consideration for its original intent and purpose when enacted into law almost two centuries prior.