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.
Shefa v. Ellison
Held that a law requiring unanimous votes by the Board of Pardons did not violate constitutional provisions related to pardons or separation of powers
State v. Peoples
Held the warrantless search of the home of a person on probation did not violate the right to privacy or prohibition on unreasonable searches
State v. Comer
Held that juvenile defendants subject to mandatory lengthy sentences for homicide convictions are entitled to petition for a review of their sentence after serving 20 years in prison
State v. Wright
Held that arrest for a suspected traffic violation by a volunteer officer not authorized to make such an arrest violated the prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures
Citizens for Fair Rates & the Environment v. New Mexico Public Regulation Commission
Rejected claims that law allowing public utilities to recover the costs of transitioning to renewable energy violates due process, prohibitions on impairing contract rights, and other constitutional provisions
Arizona School Boards Association, Inc. v. State
Held budget reconciliation bills violated constitution’s title requirement by not providing notice and senate bill violated single subject rule for containing discordant subjects
DuBose v. McGuffey
Dissent would have limited appellate court review of lower court bail determinations
In re Mohammad
Ruled regulation excluding inmates convicted of a felony from early parole was a reasonable interpretation of constitutional amendment providing for nonviolent offender parole reviews
Whitehead v. Fagan
Ruled qualified voters under the constitution’s initiative provision do not include voters with inactive registration and thus whose signatures may not count on initiative petitions
State v. McCarthy
Overruled per se exigency exception to constitution’s warrant requirements, held state must prove exigent circumstances actually existed at the time of the seizure or search of defendant’s vehicle
