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 May 2025.
Featured Cases
Access Independent Health Services v. Wrigley
North Dakota Supreme Court upheld state's abortion ban despite three of five justices concluding a health-risk exception was unconstitutionally vague, because the state constitution requires four justices to declare legislation unconstitutional
Clarke v. Town of Newburgh
New York Court of Appeals held local government could not assert state or federal equal protection challenge to the vote dilution provision of the state's Voting Rights Act
League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature (LWV 1)
Utah Supreme Court sent partisan gerrymandering case back to lower court to consider whether the legislature violated voters' fundamental right to "reform or alter" their government when it overturned redistricting reforms passed by initiative. Lower court found legislators violated that right and struck the current congressional map, adopting an alternative proposed by the plaintiffs
Parker v. Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Held that law prohibiting Sunday hunting does not violate recently enacted right to food amendment
Planned Parenthood v. Utah
Plaintiffs claim that abortion restrictions violate the right to determine family composition, Equal Rights Amendment, right to uniform operation of laws, right to bodily integrity and privacy, and right of conscience
Washington v. Cline
Held that a man who sought damages via a direct constitutional claim for being denied a speedy trial was not eligible for any remedy because such claims are available only if there is no other existing remedy.
Owens v. Stirling
Held that execution by electrocution and firing squad are not “cruel or unusual” punishments under the state constitution
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Inc. v. Hilgers
Held that a bill containing restrictions on abortion and gender-affirming for minors care did not violate the state constitution's prohibition on bills that contain more than one subject because both issues relate to regulating healthcare.
League of Women Voters of Kansas v. Schwab
Held that voting was not a fundamental right under the state constitution's Bill of Rights, but a political right grounded elsewhere in the constitution.
Worrell v. Desantis
Denied an elected Florida state attorney’s bid to be reinstated after she was removed from office by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, an act she, a Democrat, said was politically motivated. The court said DeSantis was within his constitutionally-conferred rights to suspend her for what he alleged was neglect of her duties. A dissenting opinion in the case said the prosecutor was not given time to mount a meaningful defense and expressed need for careful examination of a suspension in the case where the constitution “in effect authorizes the governor to override the will of the majority of voters who elected the official and to appoint a replacement of the governor’s choosing.”
Castellanos v. State of California et al.
Upheld a ballot measure approved by voters in 2022 that classifies app-based drivers as independent contractors. Plaintiffs claimed the measure infringed on the state legislature's constitutional authority to create a workers' compensation system.
Tricoast Builders, Inc. v. Fonnegra
Ruled that the plaintiff was required to establish prejudice in order to prevail on appeal on their claim regarding the trial court's alleged error in declining to conduct a jury trial
Minnesota v. Malecha
Held that, under the state constitution, prosecutors could not rely on evidence collected after police officers arrested a person based on a warrant they didn’t know had been quashed.
