State Case Database
Search State Court Report's database of significant state supreme court decisions and pending cases. Download decisions and briefs for cases that develop state constitutional law. This is a selected database and does not include every state supreme court case. See methodology and "How to Use the State Case Database" for more information.
This database is updated monthly, although individual cases may be updated more frequently. Last updated comprehensively with cases decided through February 2025.
Featured Cases
LeMieux v. Evers
The Wisconsin Supreme Court held, in a divided decision, that the governor did not exceed his partial veto authority under the state constitution when he altered digits, words, and punctuation in a budget bill to extend a school funding increase from 2 to 402 years.
Griffin v. State Board of Elections
A candidate for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court, who lost by over 700 votes, claims that the state board of elections followed an incorrect process for registering voters and seeks in invalidate more than 60,000 votes.
People v. Taylor; People v. Czarnecki
Michigan Supreme Court held that mandatory life-without-parole sentences violate the state constitution’s protection against “cruel or unusual” punishment for anyone under age 21 at the time of the offense. The decision extends the court’s 2022 ruling in People v. Parks that such sentences are unconstitutional for those 18 or under.
Parker v. Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Held that law prohibiting Sunday hunting does not violate recently enacted right to food amendment
Contoocook Valley School District v. New Hampshire
Trial court found state must pay a base amount of at least $7,356.01 per child per year to meet its state constitutional obligation to provide an adequate public education. An appeal is pending before the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature (LWV 1)
Sent partisan gerrymandering case back to lower court to consider whether the legislature improperly infringed citizens' lawmaking power when it overturned redistricting reforms passed by initiative. Voters' rights to "reform and alter" the law is a fundamental right.
Worrell v. Desantis
Denied an elected Florida state attorney’s bid to be reinstated after she was removed from office by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, an act she, a Democrat, said was politically motivated. The court said DeSantis was within his constitutionally-conferred rights to suspend her for what he alleged was neglect of her duties. A dissenting opinion in the case said the prosecutor was not given time to mount a meaningful defense and expressed need for careful examination of a suspension in the case where the constitution “in effect authorizes the governor to override the will of the majority of voters who elected the official and to appoint a replacement of the governor’s choosing.”
League of Women Voters of Kansas v. Schwab
Held that voting was not a fundamental right under the state constitution's Bill of Rights, but a political right grounded elsewhere in the constitution.
Washington v. Cline
Held that a man who sought damages via a direct constitutional claim for being denied a speedy trial was not eligible for any remedy because such claims are available only if there is no other existing remedy.
Tricoast Builders, Inc. v. Fonnegra
Ruled that the plaintiff was required to establish prejudice in order to prevail on appeal on their claim regarding the trial court's alleged error in declining to conduct a jury trial
Minnesota v. Malecha
Held that, under the state constitution, prosecutors could not rely on evidence collected after police officers arrested a person based on a warrant they didn’t know had been quashed.
Smith v. Iowa District Court for Polk County
Held that the Iowa Constitution contains a legislative privilege that protects legislators from compelled document production
Commonwealth v. Shepherd
Held that the state's right to equal protection did not require the retroactive application of a new rule requiring proof of actual malice for felony murder
