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 June 2025.
Featured Cases
League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature (LWV 1)
Utah Supreme Court dismissed legislators' appeal from trial court ruling that struck the state's congressional map. Lower court said law the map was enacted under violated a fundamental right of voters to alter or reform their government — recognized by the Utah high court earlier in the case — by repealing a redistricting-reform initiative, and subsequently adopted plaintiffs' proposed alternative map
Commonwealth v. Council for Better Education; LaFontaine v. Council for Better Education
Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that a law providing for charter schools funds education outside the “system of common schools,” in violation of clauses requiring the legislature to establish such a system and voters to approve such funding
McDougle v. Nardo
Virginia Supreme Court permitted legislature's proposed amendment to redraw the state’s congressional map to proceed to a vote, while it considers appeal of trial court decision finding the legislative process unconstitutional
State v. Snyder
Ruled that domestic violence emergency protective orders are not de facto search warrants and do not meet the probable cause standards under the search and seizure clause
State v. Sutterfield
Ruled that arrest by police officer for completed misdemeanor that occurred outside the officer's presence did not violate search and seizure clause where officer was assisting a private individual conducting a citizen arrest
State v. Heath
Ruled that religious liberty clause in section of constitution containing housekeeping provisions for the transition from territory to statehood was not intended to broaden the guarantee in the declaration of rights
State v. Blake
Ruled that state's strict liability drug possession statute violates state's more extensive due process protections
Metcalfe v. State
Ruled repeal of statutory right of reinstatement unconstitutionally impaired or diminished an accrued benefit of the state employee retirement system
Dulin v. State
Dissent would have held that when the total court costs imposed on a defendant do not plainly exceed the cost to the state of litigating the case, there is no violation of separation of powers
State v. Lopez-Carrera
Dissent wrote that State's sovereign power and victims' rights require that statute limiting pretrial detention permit detention of a defendant noncitizen when removal is certain and imminent
Z.W.E. v. L.B. (Ex parte Z.W.E.)
Concurrence would have ruled that parentage statute’s definition of “child” should be interpreted to include unborn children as constitution specifically protects their rights
In re Humphrey
Ruled equal protection and substantive due process require court to consider financial ability to post bail and whether less restrictive alternatives to detention could satisfy government’s interests
Reagan v. Idaho Transportation Department
Ruled that statute authorizing warrantless arrest for driving under the influence, even if the officer did not witness the offense, violates protection against unreasonable searches and seizures
