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 August 2025.
Featured Cases
Hoke County Board of Education v. State of North Carolina
The North Carolina Supreme Court overturned its own precedent and put an end to more than 30 years of litigation involving the funding of public education in the state
Commonwealth v. Lee
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that mandating a life sentence, without the possibility of parole, for “felony murder” — a legal doctrine that allows someone to be prosecuted for murder for any death that occurs during the commission of a separate felony, even if the defendant never meant to kill anyone — violates the Pennsylvania Constitution’s ban on “cruel” punishments
Luther v. Hoskins
The Missouri Supreme Court rejected voters' challenge to Missouri's new congressional district map, which the plaintiffs said ran afoul of state constitutional prohibitions on mid-decade redistricting. The court found the state constitution contained no express prohibition on mid-decade redistricting and that the map was a "valid exercise" of the "plenary legislative power to establish congressional districts"
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
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
State v. Treptow
Ruled that statutes requiring defendant who pleads guilty to establish good cause to pursue direct appeal and to present ineffective assistance claim in postconviction-relief proceeding, do not violate equal protection or due process
State v. Mikell
Held that when prosecution dismisses and later refiles charges, the period between dismissal and refiling need not be considered for purposes of defendant's right to a speedy trial
People v. Bochenek
Ruled that statute setting venue for identity theft cases in the place where the victim resides does not violate right to jury trial where the crime is alleged to have been committed
State v. Dortch
Dissent wrote that applying preservation requirement to defendant whose guilty plea was accepted without a competency hearing after trial court questioned his competency would deny his right to a meaningful appeal
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
People v. Bass
Concurrences would have addressed whether under Illinois' "limited lockstep" approach the state constitution provides greater protections than the Fourth Amendment
Butler v. Watson
Ruled that clause requiring distribution of ballot initiative signatures across the state's five congressional districts was rendered inoperable by reduction in number of state's congressional districts
