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
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 said 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."
North Carolina Department of Revenue v. Philip Morris U.S., Inc.
The North Carolina Supreme Court held that the state's Office of Administrative Hearings does not have jurisdiction to hear as-applied constitutional challenges to tax statutes, and allowing it to decide such challenges would violate the Separation of Powers Clause
Morris v. Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration
The New Hamphire Supreme Court held that double taxation by two states does not violate the the Commerce Clause or the state's constitution because it did not inherently discriminate against interstate commerce
Long v. Commonwealth
The Kentucky Supreme Court held that the Kentucky Constitution does not bar claims for purely declaratory relief or claims for refends of funds never due to the state
State v. A.M.W.
The Washington Supreme Court reinforced the Washington Constitution's protection of judicial autonomy in procedural matters when it clarifiied that the procedural rules it adopts, such as JuCR 7.16, control over conflicting statutes but conflicting statutes control on substantive matters
Krug v. New Jersey State Parole Board
The New Jersey Supreme Court held that the retroactive application of a 1997 amendment to the Parole Act did not violate the ex post facto clauses of the state and U.S. constitutions
State v. Andrus
The Utah Supreme Court held that a state law enforcment agency may use records lawfully obtained by federal law enforcement without violating the state's constitution or being subject to the state's Electronic Information or Data Privacy Act (EIDPA)
Smith v. Fontes
The Arizona Supreme Court held an election statute requiring the Secretary of State to double count some invalid signatures violated the U.S. and state constitutions because it effectively raised the 15% signature threshold for proposing a constitutional amendment via initiative to 15.2%
State v. Alford
The Montana Supreme Court held that the mandatory minimum custodial sentence for felony DUIs was not facially unconstitutional under the Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause in the state's constitution
State v. Roberts
Oregon Supreme Court held that state's failure to appoint counsel for an indigent criminal defendant for an extended time period violates the right to counsel and imposed a general rule for how long before dismissal without prejudice is required
