John Joseph Albright and Others v. Emery was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of whether a state court had the authority to issue a writ of mandamus to a federal court. The case arose when the plaintiffs, John Joseph Albright and others, filed a petition in the Circuit Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania seeking a writ of mandamus against the defendant, Emery. The plaintiffs argued that Emery had failed to comply with a previous order of the court and that the writ of mandamus was necessary to compel him to do so. The Supreme Court held that the state court did not have the authority to issue a writ of mandamus to a federal court. The Court reasoned that the writ of mandamus was a remedy that was only available to federal courts and that the state court did not have the power to issue such a writ. The Court further held that the Circuit Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania had the authority to issue the writ of mandamus and that the plaintiffs were entitled to the relief they sought.

In the case of John Joseph Albright & Others v. Emery, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a deed from one party to another was valid and enforceable. The majority opinion held that it was not, as there were certain conditions attached to the deed which had not been met by either party. However, Justice Field dissented from this decision on two grounds: firstly, he argued that even if all of the conditions had not been fulfilled at the time of transfer, they could still be enforced in equity; secondly, he noted that while some parts of the agreement may have been unenforceable due to their lack of specificity or other issues related thereto, other portions should still be upheld and enforced according to their plain meaning. Ultimately then Justice Field concluded that since some aspects of this contract could potentially be enforced in court despite its deficiencies overall - such as those relating directly to title - it should remain valid and binding upon both parties involved.