Mining Company v. Boggs was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1865. The dispute arose when Mining Company sued James Boggs for trespass and damages to its property, alleging that he had removed ore from their mine without permission or payment of royalties. The court found that while it was true that Mr. Boggs had taken ore from the mine, his actions did not constitute an actionable trespass because he believed in good faith that he owned the land on which the mine was located due to a prior agreement with another party who held title to it at one point but later transferred ownership rights back to Mining Company without informing Mr. Boggs of this change in status. Therefore, since there were no malicious intentions behind his actions and they were done under false pretenses, Mr. Boggs could not be held liable for any damages caused by him taking ore from the mining company's property as long as those ores belonged solely to him once they left said property boundaries

In Mining Company v. Boggs, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a mining company had the right to bring an action against a state court judge for damages caused by his decision in a prior case. The majority of justices held that such actions were not permissible under the Constitution and dismissed the suit. Justice Field dissented from this opinion, arguing that it was wrong to deny citizens access to federal courts when their rights have been violated by state judges acting within their jurisdiction. He argued that if Congress has granted individuals certain rights, then they should be able to seek redress through federal courts regardless of who is responsible for violating those rights - including state judges or other officials acting on behalf of states. In conclusion, he maintained that denying citizens access to justice would lead only "to oppression and injustice."