In the United States v. North American Transportation & Trading Company case of 1919, the U.S. Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a corporation could be held liable for criminal contempt of court under federal law. The case arose when the North American Transportation & Trading Company failed to comply with an injunction issued by a lower court that ordered it to cease certain activities deemed harmful to public lands in Alaska. Despite this order, the company continued its operations and was subsequently charged with criminal contempt of court. The central issue before the Supreme Court was whether corporations, as legal entities distinct from their individual members or officers, could be subject to charges of criminal contempt - which traditionally applied only to individuals capable of forming intent and committing acts in defiance of court orders. The Supreme Court ruled that corporations can indeed be held criminally responsible for defying judicial orders just like individuals are. This decision set an important precedent regarding corporate liability under U.S law.

In the dissenting opinion for United States v. North American Transportation & Trading Company, it was argued that the majority misinterpreted the law and failed to consider important aspects of the case. The dissenting justices believed that there were significant errors in how lower courts handled this case which resulted in an unjust outcome. They disagreed with the majority's interpretation of "navigable waters," arguing that it should not be limited to only those bodies of water currently used for commerce but also include any capable or potentially capable of such use. Furthermore, they contended that by ignoring evidence showing potential commercial value and navigability during certain seasons, a grave mistake had been made. This narrow view on what constitutes 'navigable waters' could have far-reaching implications affecting future cases involving similar issues about property rights and federal jurisdiction over waterways.