| Litigants: | United States v. La Vengeance |
| Arguedate: | August 10 |
| Argueyear: | 1796 |
| Decidedate: | August 11 |
| Decideyear: | 1796 |
| Fullname: | United States v. La Vengeance |
| Usvol: | 3 |
| Uspage: | 297 |
| Parallelcitations: | 3 Dall. 297; 1 L. Ed. 610; 1796 U.S. LEXIS 402 |
| Holding: | A proceeding by the United States to forfeit a vessel is a cause of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction, and courts will take judicial notice of a geographical fact. |
| Majority: | Elsworth |
| Joinmajority: | unanimous |
United States v. La Vengeance, 3 U.S. (3 Dall.) 297 (1796), was a 1796 decision of the United States Supreme Court which found that a proceeding by the United States to forfeit a vessel is a cause of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction. Specifically, "[a]n injunction to enforce the forfeiture of a vessel, for an illegal exportation of arms and ammunition, is a civil cause of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction. The courts will take judicial notice of a geographical fact."[1]