In the case of Lessee of Irwin H. Doolittle and Others v. Levi Bryan and Others, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a deed from an individual who had no title to land could be enforced against subsequent purchasers with good faith in possession of that same land. The plaintiffs argued that they were entitled to recover damages for trespass because their predecessors had purchased the property from one who did not have any legal right or interest in it; however, defendants contended that since they bought the property without knowledge or notice of such prior conveyance, they should not be held liable for trespass on account thereof. After considering both sides’ arguments, the court concluded that although there may have been some technical violation by defendants due to their lack of knowledge about previous transactions involving this particular piece of real estate, nevertheless it would be inequitable and unjust to hold them responsible as innocent purchasers with good faith in possession at time when suit was brought against them. Therefore, judgment was entered in favor of defendants on grounds stated above.

In this case, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a deed of land granted by an Indian tribe in 1817 was valid. The majority opinion held that the deed was not valid because it had been made without consideration and therefore did not meet the requirements for a legally binding contract. However, Justice McLean dissented from this decision on two grounds. First, he argued that there had been sufficient consideration given for the deed since it had been exchanged for goods and services provided by the grantee. Second, he noted that even if there had not been adequate consideration given at first, subsequent payments made over time could be considered as part of any agreement between parties to make up for any deficiency in initial payment or exchange of value. Ultimately, Justice McLean concluded that while some technicalities may have prevented full enforcement of all aspects of the original agreement between parties involved in granting and receiving land rights under this particular deed, its validity should still be recognized due to its long-standing recognition among both Native American tribes and state governments alike prior to being challenged before court proceedings began here today.