United States v. Norton was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of whether a federal court had the power to issue an injunction against a state court. The case involved a dispute between the United States and the state of California over the ownership of certain land. The United States had filed a suit in the federal court seeking an injunction against the state court from proceeding with a case involving the same land. The Supreme Court held that the federal court did not have the power to issue an injunction against a state court. The Court reasoned that the federal court did not have the power to interfere with the proceedings of a state court, and that the state court had the exclusive power to decide the case. The Court also noted that the federal court could not issue an injunction against a state court unless the state court was acting in violation of the Constitution or a federal statute. The Court concluded that the federal court did not have the power to issue an injunction against the state court in this case.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in United States v. Norton, arguing that the majority's decision was an incorrect interpretation of a federal statute. He argued that Congress had intended to provide for compensation to those who had been injured by government negligence and thus should be liable for damages when such injuries occurred. The majority opinion held that since there was no specific language in the statute providing for liability, it could not be inferred from general principles of law or equity; however, Justice Field disagreed with this reasoning and stated that if Congress had intended otherwise they would have included explicit language stating so in the statute itself. Furthermore, he argued that allowing individuals to recover damages from negligent acts committed by government officials is necessary as a deterrent against future misconduct on their part and serves as an incentive for them to act responsibly while carrying out their duties.