In the 1916 case of Ex Parte Park Square Automobile Station, the petitioner sought a writ of mandamus to compel a judge in Massachusetts to take jurisdiction over and decide an equity suit. The Supreme Court denied this petition on grounds that it had no authority under federal law or its own rules to issue such a writ. The court held that while it could review final decisions by lower courts, it did not have power to intervene in ongoing cases unless specifically authorized by Congress. It further stated that even if it did have such power, issuing a writ would be inappropriate because there was no evidence the judge acted improperly or refused his duty; he simply postponed hearing due to other pending matters.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Ex Parte Park Square Automobile Station, 1916, argued that the court had overstepped its jurisdiction by intervening in a matter that should have been left to local authorities. The justice believed that it was not within the purview of federal courts to interfere with state and municipal regulations unless there was a clear violation of constitutional rights. In this case, they felt such violation did not exist as the petitioner's right to operate an automobile station wasn't being infringed upon but merely regulated for public safety reasons. They also expressed concern about setting a precedent where businesses could bypass local governance and appeal directly to higher courts whenever they disagreed with regulatory decisions.