United States v. Phisterer was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of whether a defendant could be convicted of a crime without being present at the trial. The case involved a man named Phisterer who was charged with a crime in the District of Columbia. He was not present at the trial, but the jury found him guilty. The Supreme Court held that a defendant could not be convicted of a crime without being present at the trial. The Court reasoned that the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the right to be present at one's own trial. The Court also noted that the right to be present at one's own trial is a fundamental right that is essential to a fair trial. The Court concluded that a defendant must be present at his or her own trial in order to ensure that the defendant receives a fair trial.

In United States v. Phisterer, the Supreme Court was tasked with deciding whether a federal court had jurisdiction to hear an appeal from a decision of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue in relation to taxes assessed against certain distilleries. The majority opinion held that such appeals were not within the scope of federal judicial power and thus could not be heard by a federal court. Justice Field dissented, arguing that Congress had clearly intended for these types of cases to be heard in federal courts as evidenced by their inclusion in various statutes passed over time. He argued further that it would be unjust and contrary to Congressional intent if taxpayers were denied access to justice through no fault or choice on their part due solely because they happened upon an unfavorable interpretation of law at any given moment in time.