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
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.
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.
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
State v. Sum
Held that a person's race and ethnicity are relevant to determining if they would have felt free to leave a law enforcement encounter
Frazier v. Rhodenizer
Held that nearly six-year delay between driver’s license revocation hearing and issuing final revocation order violated respondent’s due process rights
State v. Sagapolutele-Silva
Held that a court must evaluate the totality of the circumstances to determine whether a suspect is in custody such that Miranda warnings are required before a police officer may interrogate them
Fire Protection Service v. Survitec Survival Products
Held that applying to a preexisting contract a statute prohibiting suppliers from terminating dealer agreements without good cause is not unconstitutionally retroactive
Holcomb v. Bray
Ruled that a law authorizing the legislature to call an emergency session through a simple resolution violated constitution’s fixed-by-law requirement as well as the distribution of powers mandate
Palade v. Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas System
Ruled tenured faculty claims that university’s revised policy violated contracts and free communication clauses lacked standing, ripeness, and justiciability
Meyer v. Knudsen
Ruled constitution’s restriction that legislation by initiative may not appropriate funds does not apply to constitutional amendments proposed by initiative
Ex parte Pinkard
Ruled constitution’s absolute state immunity clause does not bar claims that name and seek relief only from individual state employees in their personal capacity
Shea v. State
Held that the constitution grants the legislature broad authority to determine public education policy, prohibiting judicial review of the adequacy and allocation of education funding
State v. Robinson
Ruled legislature treated fetus as a type of child in aggravator factor statute for capital cases resulting in constitutionally permissible basis to support aggravator finding