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 September 2025.
Featured Cases
McDougle v. Scott
Virginia Supreme Court, in a split decision, nullified a constitutional amendment approved by voters that would have allowed the state's congressional districts to be redrawn, finding the legislative process used for the amendment violated the state constitution
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
Williams v. Board of Elections of the State of New York
New York trial court held that the state’s 11th congressional district violated a 2014 state constitutional amendment barring racial vote dilution and ordered the state’s congressional map redrawn. The U.S. Supreme Court stayed the trial court’s order pending the disposition of the appeal in the New York state courts and any petition for certiorari in the Supreme Court. The state case was subsequently dismissed on the agreement of the parties
State v. Ayon-Urbano
Oregon Supreme Court will consider whether criminal defendants have a compulsory process right to subpoena social media companies for records that are relevant to investigating their defense
In re: Lieutenant Governor’s Power to Vote on Final Passage of Legislation
South Dakota Supreme Court issued an advisory opinion construing two state constitutional clauses to conclude the lieutenant governor can cast a tiebreaking vote on final passage of a bill
Kendrick v. Knudsen
Montana Supreme Court reversed attorney general's determination that proposed right-of-direct-democracy initiative violates separate-vote requirement
Brunett v. West Virginia Professional Charter School Board
West Virginia Supreme Court halted pending appeal a trial court's injunction against a 2021 law authorizing a state board to approve charter schools without local voter consent
Posey v. Bushnell
Idaho Supreme Court will consider appeal from a defamation judgment in lawsuit brought by a drag performer against a blogger, including whether the performer was a limited purpose public figure
Jennings v. Smith
Alabama Supreme Court held that it is legal for police to arrest a person for refusing to show ID during a stop if officers are not satisfied with answers the individual provides about their name and address
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 found 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"
In re the Detention of M.E. and R.S.
Washington Supreme Court held that caseload limits in indigent defense standards are mandatory and courts lack authority to order attorneys to accept case assignments in violation of those limits, but found the trial court here did not do so
