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 2024.
Featured Cases
Genser v. Butler County Board of Elections
Held citizens whose mail-in ballots were disqualified for a failure to return them in the required secrecy envelope have a right to cast a provisional ballot and have it count.
Gonzalez v. Miller
Unanimously affirmed the denial of a district attorney’s effort to dismiss a state Open Records Act request relating to her office’s “failure . . . to effectively prosecute criminal cases, and an open disregard for the laws of the State of Georgia"
Republican National Committee v. Eternal Vigilance Action, Inc
The Georgia Supreme Court left in place a lower court ruling that several controversial new election rules are “illegal, unconstitutional, and void.” The rules would have made election certification discretionary, required hand-counting the number of ballots, made drop boxes harder to use, and expanded the role of poll watchers. The appeal will proceed on a normal schedule, which means the state supreme court will fully consider the challenge against the rules over the next few months.
State v. Graham
Ruled prosecutor’s specific argument that defendant tailored their testimony in response to the testimony other witnesses provided at trial did not violate defendant's right to confrontation
Short v. State
Ruled executive branch’s sweep of unappropriated state general funds, including funds for educational grants, into a reserve fund did not violate legislature’s appropriation powers
Department of Corrections v. Stefano
Held that a person released from prison on electronic monitoring has due process rights implicated when they are removed from electronic monitoring and returned to prison
State v. Warren
Ruled reinstatement of a complaint despite defendant’s lack of counsel at reinstatement hearing violated right to counsel, as hearing was a critical stage of criminal proceedings
Burns v. Arizona Public Service Co.
Ruled majority of commissioners of public utilities commission may not prevent an individual commissioner from exercising constitutionally granted investigatory powers
State v. Mefford
Ruled parole officer’s warrantless search of defendant’s cell phone apps exceeded any valid exception, violating searches and seizures and right to privacy clauses
State ex rel. Office of the State Engineer v. Romero
Ruled groundwater forfeiture statute allowed for partial forfeiture of petitioner’s water rights for nonuse and was consistent with constitution’s beneficial use doctrine
State ex rel. Sanduskians for Sandusky v. The City of Sandusky
Mandated city commission submit proposed city charter amendment to a special election, but commission is not constitutionally required to place proposal on general election ballot
Eddie Armstrong & Lance Huey v. Thurston
Ruled statute permitting State Board of Election Commissioners discretion to certify ballot initiative to Secretary of State conflicted with constitution’s initiative clause
Leibsohn v. Hobbs
Ruled statutory registration requirements for petition circulators for ballot initiatives unreasonably hinder or restrict the initiative power
