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 August 2025.
Featured Cases
McDougle v. Scott
Virginia Supreme Court, in a split decision, nullified a constitutional amendment approved by voters that would have redrawn the state's congressional districts, 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
Committee for Public Counsel Services v. Middlesex and Suffolk County District Courts
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that, given legislative and other measures to address a shortage of indigent defense counsel, there were not extraordinary circumstances that would justify the judiciary ordering a rate increase for attorneys accepting such representations
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
State v. Roberts
Oregon Supreme Court held that state's failure to appoint counsel for an indigent criminal defendant for an extended time period violates the right to counsel and imposed a general rule for how long before dismissal without prejudice is required
State Public Defender v. Iowa District Court for Scott County
Iowa Supreme Court ruled that trial court acted beyond its authority when it did not accept public defender's representation that it had a temporary overload of cases
PFLAG v. Office of the Attorney General
Texas Supreme Court held LGBTQ+ organization must respond to information requests issued by the state as part of its investigation of whether doctors are evading Texas's ban on gender-affirming care for minors
Missouri State Conference of the NAACP v. State
Missouri Supreme Court held that voters and advocacy organizations lacked standing to challenge the constitutionality of Missouri’s strict photo ID requirements
League of Women Voters of Missouri v. State
The Missouri Supreme Court permanently enjoined legislation criminalizing third-party voter registration and voter-engagement activities, affirming a lower court decision that the restrictions violated core political speech
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
State v. Hidlebaugh
Iowa Supreme Court held that a prison sentence resulting in part from a defendant's failure to satisfy a financial obligation despite his good faith effort to do so, violated state and federal equal protection and due process
