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.
State v. Morel-Vargas
Ruled defense counsel's representation that the defendant waived his right to testify, together with the defendant's silence, satisfied constitutional requirement for a valid waiver
Hicks v. 2021 Hawaii Reapportionment Commission
Held that the reapportionment commission satisfied redistricting provisions even though the plan does not meet every guideline because it considered those guidelines alongside other policy objectives
Aguirre v. Elko County Sheriff's Office
Held that there is no civil forfeiture exception to the constitution's homestead exemption and public policy does not support the creation of such an exception
Benson v. McKee
Evaluated the legislature's constitutional authority to enact legislation protecting abortion access, but dismissed the case on standing grounds
Murphy v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.
Held that the Chief Judge's pandemic-era administrative tolling order, concerning the timeliness of complaints, did not violate separation of powers or unconstitutionally suspend laws
Harkenrider v. Hochul
Held that congressional and state senate reapportionment plans failed to follow constitutional process and district lines were drawn with unconstitutional partisan intent
People v. Dawson
Dissent wrote that defendant's request that an interrogating officer call his lawyer amounted to a request to speak with his lawyer, invalidating subsequent waiver of Miranda rights
Stepp v. Cottrell
Held that a claim for excessive force by police officers must be analyzed under the relevant constitutional provision rather than as a general violation of substantive due process
State v. Price-Williams
Dissent would have held that a defendant must be both armed and dangerous for a search following a Terry stop to be constitutional
State v. Hauge
Held the constitution does not require individuals be informed that they are free to refuse consent to a warrantless search
