Osborne v. Adams County was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of whether a county could be held liable for damages caused by a county officer. The case arose when a man named Osborne sued Adams County, Ohio for damages caused by a county officer. Osborne alleged that the officer had wrongfully arrested him and caused him to suffer damages. The Supreme Court held that a county could be held liable for damages caused by a county officer if the officer was acting within the scope of his authority. The Court reasoned that a county should be held liable for the actions of its officers because it is responsible for their actions. The Court also held that a county could not be held liable for damages caused by an officer who was acting outside the scope of his authority. In conclusion, the Supreme Court held that a county could be held liable for damages caused by a county officer if the officer was acting within the scope of his authority. The Court reasoned that a county should be held responsible for the actions of its officers because it is responsible for their actions.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Osborne v. Adams County, arguing that the Court should not have granted a writ of mandamus to compel an auditor and treasurer to issue bonds for a railroad company. He argued that it was improper for the court to interfere with matters of state government, as this case involved local officials who were acting within their authority under state law. Furthermore, he noted that there was no clear legal precedent allowing such interference by federal courts in cases involving purely local matters. Justice Field concluded his dissent by noting that if Congress had intended for federal courts to intervene in such cases then they would have passed legislation explicitly granting them jurisdiction over these types of disputes between states and corporations or individuals.