The City of New Orleans brought a case against Myra Clark Gaines in the Supreme Court. The city argued that it had the right to take possession of certain property owned by Gaines, and sought to have her title declared void. In response, Gaines claimed she was entitled to compensation for any taking of her property under the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of Gaines, finding that she was indeed entitled to just compensation if her land were taken from her without due process or consent. This ruling established an important precedent regarding private property rights and government takings under the Constitution.

In the case of The City of New Orleans v. Myra Clark Gaines, Justice Grier delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the court should not have dismissed the writ of error filed by Gaines. He believed that there was sufficient evidence to show that she had been wrongfully deprived of her property and thus deserved an opportunity to prove her claim before a jury. Furthermore, he noted that if it were true as alleged by Gaines' counsel, then she would be entitled to compensation for damages suffered due to wrongful deprivation or dispossession from her estate. Therefore, Grier concluded that this matter should not have been decided without allowing both parties their day in court and urged his colleagues on the bench to reconsider their decision so justice could be served accordingly.