In the case of Potter v. Gardner and Others, appellant Potter brought a suit against respondents Gardner and others for trespass on his land. The court found that the defendants had wrongfully entered onto Potter's property without permission or authority from him, thus constituting an act of trespass. In addition to this finding, the court also determined that even if there was no actual entry onto the land by any of the defendants, they were still liable for damages due to their involvement in causing it to be done through another party. Ultimately, as a result of these findings by the Supreme Court, all parties involved were held responsible for their actions and ordered to pay damages accordingly.

In this case, Potter appealed a decision of the Circuit Court for the District of Columbia which held that he was not entitled to recover damages from Gardner and others. The Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling, but Justice Story dissented. He argued that Potter had been wrongfully deprived of his property by Gardner and others without due process or just compensation in violation of both natural justice and constitutional law. Furthermore, he noted that if such acts were allowed to go unpunished it would encourage similar violations in future cases. In conclusion, Justice Story believed that Potter should have been awarded damages as a result of his loss since there was no legal justification for depriving him of his property rights without proper compensation or due process under either natural justice or constitutional law.