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.
Education Freedom PAC v. Reid
Ruled ballot initiative directing legislature to create and fund education freedom accounts did not comply with constitutional requirement regarding unfunded mandates
Cegavske v. Hollowood
Ruled statute providing withdrawal process for initiative petitions was a constitutional exercise of legislative power to facilitate people’s initiative power
Fine v. Ward (In re Titles)
Ruled proposed ballot initiatives for selling wine at grocery stores and home delivery of alcohol by third parties were insufficiently related in violation of constitution’s single subject rule
State v. Sum
Held that a person's race and ethnicity are relevant to determining if they would have felt free to leave a law enforcement encounter
State ex rel. Demora v. LaRose
Mandated, despite new compressed electoral calendar, that Secretary of State and county boards of elections accept original declarations of candidacy and petitions if candidates otherwise qualify
Landowners v. South Central Regional Airport Agency
Ruled earlier county board of supervisors’ agreement with two cities to create a joint airport authority unconstitutionally bound the current board in its exercise of legislative functions and delegation of powers
Abbott v. Mexican American Legislative Caucus
Dismissed, for lack of standing, claims that reapportionment violated constitutional timeline and county-line rule, but remanded to allow plaintiffs to replead proper defendant
Anderson v. Attorney General
Ruled ballot summary for proposed constitutional amendment for a new income tax to raise education and transportation funds fairly described the amendment
In re Schmidt
Ruled reapportionment legislation was procedurally and substantively valid and complied with constitutional requirements of one person-one vote and no invidious discrimination
Rivera v. Schwab
Rejected partisan gerrymandering claims. Dissent would have held that congressional maps were an unconstitutional racial gerrymander under state's equal protection guarantees and that claims of partisan gerrymandering were justiciable.
