In the case of Thompson v. Fairbanks in 1904, the U.S Supreme Court ruled on a dispute involving land ownership in Alaska. The plaintiff, Thompson, claimed that he had purchased a plot of land from an individual who had received it as part of a military bounty land warrant under an Act passed by Congress in 1855. However, this was disputed by Fairbanks who argued that the original owner did not have legal title to sell because at the time Alaska was still Russian territory and thus outside US jurisdiction for such warrants. The court agreed with Fairbanks' argument and held that since Russia owned Alaska until its purchase by America in 1867, any claim based on a military bounty land warrant issued prior to this date could not be validly made against lands within what is now known as Alaska.

In the dissenting opinion for Thompson v. Fairbanks, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a lower court ruling in favor of Fairbanks was incorrect. The dissenting justices believed that there were significant errors made during the trial process which unfairly influenced its outcome. They contended that certain evidence presented by Thompson should have been admitted and considered by the jury, but instead it was excluded on questionable grounds. Furthermore, they disagreed with how instructions were given to jurors about how to interpret and apply relevant laws when making their decision. These procedural issues, according to them, resulted in an unjust verdict against Thompson who deserved a fairer trial than he received.