Edward M. West brought a case against Joseph Cochran in the Supreme Court of the United States, claiming that he had been wrongfully evicted from his home by Cochran. West argued that he was entitled to compensation for damages and loss of use due to being unlawfully removed from his property. The court found in favor of Cochran, ruling that since West did not have any legal title or right to possession at the time of eviction, there could be no recovery for damages or lost use as a result thereof. Furthermore, it was determined that even if West had some kind of possessory interest prior to eviction, such an interest would still not entitle him to recover damages because it is only when one has actual ownership rights over land can they seek recompense for its wrongful deprivation. This decision set precedent regarding what constitutes sufficient evidence necessary for someone seeking redress after being wrongfully deprived access or possession over their own property.

In the case of Edward M. West v. Joseph Cochran, Justice McLean delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the plaintiff had not been given due process and was denied his right to be heard on appeal. He noted that although the court below found for the defendant, it did so without allowing any evidence from either party to be presented or considered. Furthermore, Justice McLean pointed out that there were several errors made by both parties during trial proceedings and these should have been taken into account when making their decision as well as providing an opportunity for each side to present their arguments before judgment was rendered. In conclusion, he believed that justice could only be served if all parties involved had a chance to make their case before a final ruling was issued and thus felt compelled to dissent from this particular decision since it failed to provide such an opportunity for Mr West