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 March 2025.
Featured Cases
Republican National Committee v. Eternal Vigilance Action, Inc; Georgia v. Eternal Vigilance Action
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled invalid under state nondelegation principles four of seven rules passed by the Georgia State Election board, while upholding one rule. The court did not decide the validity of two other rules, holding that the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the provisions.
Planned Parenthood of Montana v. State (Planned Parenthood 1)
Montana Supreme Court held that a 20-week abortion ban; restrictions on medication abortions, including a telehealth ban and 24-hour waiting period; and requirement that providers give patients an opportunity to view an ultrasound and listen to a fetal heartbeat violate the express right to privacy in the state constitution.
Care and Prevention of Eve
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that department of children and families violated the state constitution's free exercise of religion protection when it vaccinated a child temporarily in its custody over the religious objections of her parents. Parents who have temporarily lost custody of their children retain a residual right to direct their religious upbringing, and the state must demonstrate that allowing the child to remain unvaccinated would substantially hinder the department’s compelling interest in the vaccination.
Anderson v. Clarke
Habeas petitioner claims that state Department of Corrections wrongly interpreted a budget provision related to sentencing credits, violating ex post facto and due process clauses.
Bradbury v. City of Lewiston
Ruled that city's interdepartmental fund transfers and payments to private entities did not violate constitution's restrictions on municipal indebtedness and donations
People v. Johnson
Dissents would have ruled that statute authorizing courts to impose costs to fund general court operating expenses violated separation of powers principles
Dotson v. State
Ruled that administrative review by court office and Chief Justice of post-conviction court's authorization of expert funds for indigent defendants does not violate separation of powers, judicial authority, or due process
People v. Edwards
Dissents would have ruled that statute authorizing courts to impose costs to fund general court operating expenses violated separation of powers principles
Valdez v. West Des Moines Community Schools
Ruled that plaintiff's proposed heightened standard for assessing peremptory strikes of "last minority" jurors was not required by constitution's due process, equal protection, or jury-trial rights
State v. Murphy
Held that individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their real-time cell phone location, and acquisition of that information by police is a search requiring a warrant unless an exception to the warrant requirement applies.
Falls v. Goins
Ruled that requiring persons with out of state felony convictions to comply with two separate statutes to regain suffrage rights was within the legislature’s constitutional authority to disenfranchise persons with felony convictions
Facebook, Inc. v. State
Ruled that the contemporaneous acquisition of electronic communications is the equivalent of wiretap surveillance and is therefore entitled to greater constitutional protection
Harris v. State
Ruled that right to a jury trial applies to "habitual offender" trials, but that there is no right to present evidence to a jury that does not prove or disprove prior convictions
