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 June 2025.
Featured Cases
League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature (LWV 1)
Utah Supreme Court dismissed legislators' appeal from trial court ruling that struck the state's congressional map. Lower court said law the map was enacted under violated a fundamental right of voters to alter or reform their government — recognized by the Utah high court earlier in the case — by repealing a redistricting-reform initiative, and subsequently adopted plaintiffs' proposed alternative map
Commonwealth v. Council for Better Education; LaFontaine v. Council for Better Education
Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that a law providing for charter schools funds education outside the “system of common schools,” in violation of clauses requiring the legislature to establish such a system and voters to approve such funding
McDougle v. Nardo
Virginia Supreme Court permitted legislature's proposed amendment to redraw the state’s congressional map to proceed to a vote, while it considers appeal of trial court decision finding the legislative process unconstitutional
Arlington Heights Pension Fund v. Pritzker
Held that the ability to vote in elections for local pension board members and to have local board members control and invest pension funds are not constitutionally protected
Lovell v. Raffensperger
Dismissed lawsuit challenging the state's electronic voting machine system because the plaintiffs' did not satisfy constitution's requirements for naming defendants
Iowa Individual Health Benefit Reinsurance Association v. State University of Iowa
Ruled that the statutes requiring state universities to join nonprofit health benefit reinsurance corporation did not violate constitutional prohibition on state acting as a surety for another
Sitka Tribe of Alaska v. State
Held that constitution does not require the Department of Fish and Game to provide all relevant information to the Board of Fisheries as it determines fishery policy
Everhart v. Coshocton County Memorial Hospital
Dissent would have held that prohibiting wrongful death suits because the statute of repose runs before the patient dies violates the constitution's open courts provision
Belser v. Blount County
Held that whether the legislature conducted its internal voting proceedings in compliance with the state constitution is a nonjusticiable political question
Kell v. State
Ruled that defendant failed to demonstrate that dismissing a petition for post-conviction relief filed five years after the discovery of the evidence violates the state constitution
State v. Wilcox
Held that seizure of defendant’s backpack, incident to seizure of the defendant under non-criminal public intoxication law, was an administrative seizure
Commonwealth v. Mattis
Held that life without parole sentences are unconstitutional as applied to emerging adults (ages 18-20)
Deo v. Parish
Held that state courts have subject matter jurisdiction in criminal cases against an indigenous person in “Indian Country” and defendants must object based on personal and territorial jurisdiction
