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
Treat v. Stitt
Held that state legislators did not violate the state constitution by issuing extensions on existing tribal compacts related to tobacco taxes and motor vehicle fees. The Oklahoma governor had argued his office has exclusive authority to negotiate contracts between tribes and the state.
Montana Democratic Party v. Jacobsen
Held unconstitutional laws eliminating election day registration and limiting acceptable forms of identification for voting
Mellowitz v. Ball State University
Upheld law prohibiting class actions against postsecondary educational institutions to recover losses stemming from Covid-19
People v. Debellis
Ruled that defense counsel was ineffective for failing to request charge on the only defense supported by the trial testimony
People v. Rodriguez
Held that a bicycle stop is a seizure and that police may not initiate encounters with bicyclists absent reasonable suspicion of crime or probable cause of traffic violation
State v. Oldenburg
Held that statute permitting trial court to seal criminal records violates separation of powers by impinging supreme court’s rulemaking power
Vlaming v. West Point School Board
Allowed teacher to proceed with claim that refusal to use a student's preferred pronouns is protected by the teacher's free-exercise rights
Cruz-Guzman v. State
Held that claims of racial imbalances in public education do not need to establish state action caused the racial imbalances
State v. Harrell
Ruled that the right to an impartial jury does not guarantee a criminal defendant a specific number of peremptory challenges
Hoffmann v. New York State Independent Redistricting Commission
Ordered the independent redistricting commission to reconvene to redraw the state's congressional districts to replace court-drawn map
