Simms and Wise v. Slacum was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1806. The dispute involved two parties, Simms and Wise, who were suing Slacum for trespass on their land located in South Carolina. At issue was whether or not the defendant had permission to enter onto the plaintiffs' property without prior consent from them. In its decision, the court held that while it is true that an individual may have a right to pass through another's land if there is no other way of reaching his destination, this does not apply when he has been expressly forbidden from doing so by those with legal authority over said property. Thus, since Simms and Wise had denied Slacum access to their lands before he entered upon it without permission, they were entitled to damages for trespass as well as costs associated with bringing suit against him. This ruling established important precedent regarding private ownership rights within American law which still stands today

In Simms and Wise v. Slacum, the Supreme Court of the United States held that a state court had jurisdiction to hear an action brought by two citizens of South Carolina against another citizen of South Carolina for trespass on land located in Georgia. The majority opinion was written by Justice William Paterson and joined by Chief Justice John Marshall and Justices Samuel Chase, Bushrod Washington, Alfred Moore, Gabriel Duvall, William Johnson Jr., Thomas Todd and Robert Trimble. In dissent was Justice Smith Thompson who argued that since all parties were citizens of South Carolina then it should be up to their own courts to decide this case as there is no federal question involved here. He further stated that if any party had been from a different state then it would have been within the power of Congress under Article III Section 2 Clause 1 (the diversity clause) to give original jurisdiction over such cases but not when all parties are from one state only.