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. Collins
Ruled second degree harassment statute is not unconstitutionally overbroad so long as it applies to a limited core of unprotected conduct and communication
Lyons v. Secretary of the Commonwealth
Ruled legislature’s power to expand early voting options was not limited by constitution’s absentee ballot provision, rejected free speech and secret ballot claims
People v. Boykin
Held that trial courts must consider a juvenile defendant's youth to be a mitigating factor when sentencing them to term-of-years sentence
People v. Parks
Held that mandatory sentences of life without parole for people who are 18 at the time of the crime are unconstitutional under the state constitution
Malvo v. State
Dissent would have ruled a juvenile sentence of life without parole is constitutional and state prohibition against of cruel or unusual punishment provides no greater protection than the Eighth Amendment
Anderson v. State
Ruled courts may exercise constitutional jurisdiction over habeas petitions notwithstanding statute’s requirement to exhaust administrative remedies of New Mexico Corrections Dept.
Spiegel v. Board of Education of Howard County
Held rules for qualification and selection of student member to county board of education do not violate Maryland Constitution’s election requirements and Declaration of Rights
Under the Rainbow Early Education Center v. County of Goodhue
Ruled early childhood education center is a tax-exempt seminary of learning under the constitution
State v. Pizzuto
Ruled statute allowing governor to reject Idaho Commission of Pardon and Parole clemency recommendations is constitutional expression of legislature’s authority over Commission
Prickett v. State
Ruled defendant's constitutional right to be present at trial was not violated when counsel conferred with court during bench conferences out of defendant’s presence
