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
Roberts v. Cuthpert
Ruled that statute allowing recovery of costs from a probate judge who improperly denies a gun license does not violate separation of powers
State ex rel. Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights v. Ohio Ballot Board
Found ballot language for measure protecting reproductive rights, including the term "unborn child," not to be misleading or improperly argumentative in violation of the state constitution, except held that the term "citizens of the State" misleads the average voter about whose actions the amendment restricts.
Stand Up Montana v. Missoula County Public Schools
Held that mask mandates did not violate students' and parents' substantive due process rights
Snaza v. State
Struck down law requiring sheriffs to get authorization before deploying tear gas as unconstitutional for interfering with sheriffs’ core functions
Colorado v. Seymour
Upheld use of a “reverse keyword warrant,” reviewing global search histories to identify individuals who searched for a given keyword, under good-faith exception to unconstitutional searches
Mellor v. Jefferson Parish
Ruled that trial court lacked the authority to order that a parish transfer funds into the court's registry in order to satisfy a judgment
State v. Lee
Ruled that the separation of powers prohibits the judicial branch from exercising pardon power by granting clemency to defendants
Wahkiakum School District No. 200 v. State
Ruled that capital construction costs are not included within the category of education costs for which the state must make ample provision
State v. Ayon
Ruled that a district court judge presiding over a preliminary hearing has no authority to decide whether evidence was obtained from an unconstitutional search or seizure
Clark v. State
Held that when a defendant alleges ineffective assistance of counsel based on counsel's failure to object to an overnight noncommunication order, a presumption of prejudice is warranted
