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.
State v. VanBeek
Ruled that an officer taking an individual's driver's license back to the officer's squad car may constitute a seizure for purposes of constitutional protection against unreasonable searches and seizures
State v. Sewell
Ruled that arrestee has no right to consult counsel when deciding whether to consent to chemical testing because the right does not attach before a prosecution is commenced
People v. Schneider
Dissent wrote that jurisdiction to issue eavesdropping warrants should be constrained by clause regarding telephone intercepts in light of state's fundamental distrust of the use of wiretapping
In re M.M.
Ruled that statute eliminating review of final orders in superior court and instead directed appeals in the supreme court, may be applied to pending case without violating prohibition on retrospective laws
Hrbek v. State
Ruled that the omnibus crime bill did not violate separation of powers principles, and that in post-conviction relief there is no constitutional right to hybrid representation
Commonwealth v. Delgado-Rivera
Ruled that a defendant does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in sent text messages that were acquired from codefendant's cell phone
Missorui National Education Association v. Missouri Department of Labor & Industrial Relations
Ruled that exemption of public safety labor organizations from statutory scheme altering public labor relations lacks a rational basis and violates equal protection clause
People v. Bass
Concurrences would have addressed whether under Illinois' "limited lockstep" approach the state constitution provides greater protections than the Fourth Amendment
Watson v. State
Ruled statue requiring minors accused of non-felony traffic offenses to be charged as an adult rather than in juvenile court does not violate constitution’s equal protection clause
State v. Albano
Ruled that state right to trial by jury may diverge from federal right and is not violated by statute authorizing court, not jury, to make criminal history findings for sentencing purposes
