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 April 2024.
Featured Cases
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Inc, et al. v. Kim Reynolds, et al.
The Iowa Supreme Court held that abortion is not a fundamental right under the state constitution and is only subject to rational basis review. The court reversed a lower court injunction halting the state's "fetal heartbeat" law.
Texas v. Loe
The Texas Supreme Court refused to block a ban on certain medical treatments for transgender minors, saying the state legislature had a rational basis for passing the law and that it does not improperly infringe on the rights of parents to make medical decisions for the children or on physicians’ abilities to treat patients. The court also said the law does not constitute sex discrimination and declined to treat transgender people as a protected class.
Drummond v. Statewide Virtual Charter Schoolboard
Ruled that the state education board’s approval of a Catholic school's application to be a public charter school violated the Oklahoma Constitution, the federal Establishment Clause, and the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act
Anderson v. State
Ruled courts may exercise constitutional jurisdiction over habeas petitions notwithstanding statute’s requirement to exhaust administrative remedies of New Mexico Corrections Dept.
Under the Rainbow Early Education Center v. County of Goodhue
Ruled early childhood education center is a tax-exempt seminary of learning under the constitution
Spiegel v. Board of Education of Howard County
Held rules for qualification and selection of student member to county board of education do not violate Maryland Constitution’s election requirements and Declaration of Rights
Prickett v. State
Ruled defendant's constitutional right to be present at trial was not violated when counsel conferred with court during bench conferences out of defendant’s presence
State v. Pizzuto
Ruled statute allowing governor to reject Idaho Commission of Pardon and Parole clemency recommendations is constitutional expression of legislature’s authority over Commission
North Carolina NAACP v. Moore
Ruled principles of popular sovereignty and democratic self-rule impose limits on authority of legislators elected from unconstitutionally racially gerrymandered districts to initiate process of amending constitution
Arizona Free Enterprise Club v. Hobbs
Ruled that revenue measures may not be put to referendum, provided they relate to the support and maintenance of existing departments of the state government
Willis v. Bernini
Ruled state’s failure to present clearly exculpatory evidence to the grand jury relevant to 3rd-party defense justification violated defendant’s constitutional due process rights
Brown v. State
Dissent would have denied indigent defendant's petition as meritless without limiting future filings in forma pauperis, as violating constitutional right to access to courts
McDonald v. Jacobsen
Ruled that a legislative referendum requiring that supreme court justices be elected by district, rather than statewide, violates the state constitution