The Lady Pike was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1874. The case involved a dispute between two parties over ownership of a vessel, the Lady Pike. One party claimed to have purchased the vessel from an auction while another argued that they had already acquired title to it prior to its sale at auction. The court ultimately ruled in favor of the second party, finding that their title was superior and thus entitled them to possession of the vessel. In doing so, it established precedent for determining priority among competing claims when multiple parties claim rights or interests in property simultaneously. This decision has since been cited as authority on numerous occasions and remains influential today with regard to issues involving conflicting titles or interests in real estate and other forms of personal property.

In The Lady Pike, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a vessel that had been seized by the United States for violating its neutrality laws could be released to its owners. Justice Field delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the seizure of the vessel was unlawful and should not have taken place. He reasoned that since there were no facts presented to show any violation of neutrality laws, it would be unjust to keep the vessel from its rightful owners. Furthermore, he noted that even if some evidence did exist showing such violations occurred, they were committed before Congress passed legislation making them punishable offenses and thus could not serve as grounds for forfeiture or condemnation. In conclusion, Justice Field believed it would be an injustice to deprive these individuals of their property without due process and urged his colleagues on the court to reverse their decision so as to restore justice in this case.