In the United States Supreme Court case of The United States v. Zalegman Phillips, the plaintiff argued that Phillips had illegally imported goods from a foreign country into the U.S., in violation of federal law. The defendant countered that he was not liable for any penalties because his actions were protected by an act passed by Congress which allowed certain imports to be brought into the U.S., duty-free. After reviewing both sides' arguments, the court ruled in favor of Phillips and held that his importation was indeed authorized under this act and thus did not constitute a violation of federal law or subject him to any penalty or forfeiture as claimed by the government. This ruling established important precedent regarding how courts should interpret Congressional acts when determining whether someone has violated them or is entitled to protection under them

In the case of The United States v. Zalegman Phillips, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a federal court had jurisdiction to try an individual for piracy and murder committed on board a foreign vessel in international waters. Justice Story delivered the dissenting opinion, arguing that Congress did not have authority under Article III of the Constitution to vest such jurisdiction in any court other than those established by state governments or those created by special acts of Congress. He argued that while it is true that all crimes against humanity are punishable under general maritime law, this does not necessarily mean they can be tried in federal courts as there must first be some act of Congress granting such power before any trial may take place. Furthermore, he noted that even if Congress were able to grant such authority through legislation, it would still need to provide clear guidance regarding how and when these trials should occur so as not to violate principles of due process or interfere with existing treaties between nations. Ultimately, Justice Story concluded that without explicit authorization from either state legislatures or congressional action providing for criminal proceedings within their respective jurisdictions over offenses committed at sea beyond territorial limits - no court has jurisdiction over them and thus cannot lawfully proceed with prosecution