Virginia v. Rives was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of whether a state could be held liable for damages caused by a state-owned railroad. The case arose when the plaintiff, Rives, was injured while riding on a train owned by the state of Virginia. Rives sued the state for damages, claiming that the state was negligent in its operation of the railroad. The Supreme Court held that the state of Virginia could be held liable for damages caused by its railroad. The Court reasoned that the state was responsible for the safety of its passengers and that it had a duty to ensure that its railroad was operated in a safe manner. The Court also noted that the state had a duty to provide adequate compensation for any injuries caused by its negligence. The Court's decision in Virginia v. Rives established that states can be held liable for damages caused by their own negligence. This decision has been cited in numerous cases since then, and it has been used to support the idea that states should be held accountable for their actions.

In Virginia v. Rives, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a state court had jurisdiction over an indictment for murder committed in another state. The majority of the court held that it did not have such jurisdiction and reversed the judgment of conviction. Justice Field dissented from this decision, arguing that under existing law, states were allowed to exercise criminal jurisdiction beyond their borders when necessary to protect their citizens or punish offenders who had escaped justice within its own boundaries. He further argued that since Virginia's laws provided for extraterritorial prosecution in cases like this one, there was no reason why they should be denied access to a remedy which would otherwise be available if the crime had been committed within its own territory. In conclusion, he stated that while it may seem unusual for one state's courts to try offenses committed in another state, such action is permissible under current legal precedent and should not be overturned by the Court without good cause.