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
McDougle v. Scott
Virginia Supreme Court, in a split decision, nullified a constitutional amendment approved by voters that would have redrawn the state's congressional districts, finding the legislative process used for the amendment violated the state constitution
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
Lewis v. State
The Georgia Supreme Court held that venue must be assessed under the proper legal framework provided by OCGA S 17-2-2 (c)
State v. McDonald
The Supreme Court of Appeals for West Virginia held the defendant’s 80-year sentence for first-degree robbery was constitutionally proportionate
Jurgensen v. Dave Perkins Contracting, Inc.
The Minnesota Supreme Court held that the capped fee did not violate the Minnesota Constitution Contracts Clause because the law was in effect when the attorney-client contract was formed
Wisconsin State Legislature v. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
The Wisconsin Supreme Court held that a bill passed by the legislature creating accounts to fund literacy programs was not subject to the Governor’s partial-veto authority under the state constitution
Guy v. Hous. Authority of Augusta
The Supreme Court of Georgia held that whether the Housing Authority of the City of Augusta's is entitled to sovereign immunity must be resolved by examining the common law as it existed in 1776
People v. Barrett
The Supreme Court of California upheld the constitutionality of Penal Code section 190.2's lying-in-wait special circumstance and the use of the defendant's juvenile conviction, reasoning that these provisions sufficiently narrowed the class of death-eligible defendants and were consistent with the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Eyman v. Hobbs
Washington Supreme Court held secretary of state did not have a clear duty to advance a proposed parental rights referendum because the legislation that would have been put to vote included a valid emergency declaration exempting it from the referendum power
Johnson v. Commonwealth
The Kentucky Supreme Court held the trial court violated the defendant’s Confrontation Clause rights when it allowed the widow of the murder victim and key witness to testify remotely via Zoom
State v. Scullark
The Supreme Court of Iowa held that the search of the defendant's fanny pack was valid as a search incident to arrest
Bain v. City of Cheyenne
The Wyoming Supreme Court held a provision of the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act capping the liability of governmental entities and public employees did not violate the Wyoming Constitution’s prohibition on the enactment of laws limiting the amount of damages to be recovered for causing the injury or death of any person
