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.
Cincinnati Enquirer v. Bloom
Found the blanket sealing of a juvenile’s delinquency records when the juvenile is found not delinquent — the juvenile equivalent of not guilty — unconstitutional because there was no determination that the harm to the juvenile outweighed the public’s right to access court records
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"
City of Baytown v. Schrock
Concurrence emphasized the protections provided by the state takings clause, but agreed that property damage due to civil enforcement of an ordinance is not enough to sustain a regulatory takings claim
City of Wells Fargo v. McAllister
Held that the constitution's "quick take" takings provision allowing the government to acquire a right of way over private properties applies to a sewage project, not only roads and highways
State v. McAlpin
Dissent would have held that defendants have a constitutional right to hybrid representation, in which defendant and defense counsel share responsibilities
State v. Morel-Vargas
Ruled defense counsel's representation that the defendant waived his right to testify, together with the defendant's silence, satisfied constitutional requirement for a valid waiver
Hicks v. 2021 Hawaii Reapportionment Commission
Held that the reapportionment commission satisfied redistricting provisions even though the plan does not meet every guideline because it considered those guidelines alongside other policy objectives
Aguirre v. Elko County Sheriff's Office
Held that there is no civil forfeiture exception to the constitution's homestead exemption and public policy does not support the creation of such an exception
Benson v. McKee
Evaluated the legislature's constitutional authority to enact legislation protecting abortion access, but dismissed the case on standing grounds
White v. Cuomo
Upheld legislature's determination that interactive fantasy sports are skill-based games not prohibited by the constitution's gambling prohibition
Harkenrider v. Hochul
Held that congressional and state senate reapportionment plans failed to follow constitutional process and district lines were drawn with unconstitutional partisan intent
Murphy v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.
Held that the Chief Judge's pandemic-era administrative tolling order, concerning the timeliness of complaints, did not violate separation of powers or unconstitutionally suspend laws