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
Six Brothers, Inc. v. Town of Brookline
Upheld local law that would gradually make it illegal to sell tobacco products within town limits; held regulation is not preempted by state tobacco regulations and does not violate equal protection
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Inc. v. Hilgers
Held that a bill containing restrictions on abortion and gender-affirming for minors care did not violate the state constitution's prohibition on bills that contain more than one subject because both issues relate to regulating healthcare.
Castellanos v. State of California et al.
Upheld a ballot measure approved by voters in 2022 that classifies app-based drivers as independent contractors. Plaintiffs claimed the measure infringed on the state legislature's constitutional authority to create a workers' compensation system.
Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region v. Knodell
Concurrence would have held that the state constitution unambiguously exempts appropriation bills from the single subject requirement and was therefore inapplicable to the bill at issue, which professed to eliminate Medicaid funding for abortion providers and their affiliates
Schaad v. Alder
Ruled that an income tax statute providing that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, workers would be taxed by municipality that was their principal place of work rather than by municipality where they actually performed their work, did not violate state's Home Rule Amendment
Native Village of Kwinhagak v. State, Department of Health & Social Services
Held that both the State's delay in notifying other parties to “child in need of aid” case of child's admission to hospital, as well as the 46-day delay between the child's hospitalization and the hearing on whether such hospitalization was justified, violated procedural due process
In re Noem
Held that the contract clause of the state constitution prohibits a legislator, or former legislator within one year following the expiration of the legislator's term, from being interested, directly or indirectly, in contracts that are authorized by laws passed during the legislator's term, but does not categorically prohibit all contracts between legislators and the State
BABE VOTE v. McGrane
Held that laws prohibiting the use of student IDs for voting purposes did not violate the state constitution
Becerra v. State
Ruled that the presence of an alternate juror during a petit jury's deliberations did not violate the state constitutional right to a jury composed of twelve people; however, the alternate juror's participation in jury deliberations was impermissible and violated provision in the code of criminal procedure
Neptune Swimming Foundation v. City of Scottsdale
Ruled that the City of Scottsdale did not violate the state's gift clause when it awarded an operating license to plaintiff swim club's competitor at below-market rates
