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
Jane Doe v. Manchester School District
Plaintiff claims that school district's policy that staff generally should not inform parents when a student identifies as gender nonconforming, absent student consent, violates parents' rights
Smith v. Ohio State University
Held that discretionary immunity serves as a jurisdictional bar, not an affirmative defense, to suits against the state in the Court of Claims
Davis v. Bissen
Held that unabandoned possessions of houseless persons constitute property and were protected by Hawaii's due process clause
State Chamber of Oklahoma v. Cobbs
Dissent would have struck down Initiative Petition 446 as a facially unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority to federal officials in direct contravention of the Court's precedent
Aztec Municipal Schools v. Cardenas
Affirmed a lower court decision that a workers’ compensation limit on the duration of disability benefits for a mental illness violated the equal protection clause of the state constitution.
Vazquez v. State
Held that the statute generally defining state residency governs Alaska Constitution's three-year state residency requirement for Alaska legislators
State v. Gnewuch
Held that Nebraska's deferred judgment statute did not violate the state constitution's separation of powers clause
NC NAACP v. Almance County
Held that law prohibiting removal of a confederate monument outside courthouse did not violate equal protection, tax, or open courts provisions of state constitutions
Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights v. Knudsen
Ruled that the Attorney General's proposed ballot statement for a reproductive rights initiative was prejudicial and crafted a new, compliant statement
Advisory Opinion to the Attorney General re: Limiting Government Interference with Abortion
Approved a constitutional amendment for the 2024 ballot that seeks to prevent laws that would "prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary for the patient's health."
