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 April 2024.
Featured Cases
Texas v. Loe
The Texas Supreme Court refused to block a ban on certain medical treatments for transgender minors, saying the state legislature had a rational basis for passing the law and that it does not improperly infringe on the rights of parents to make medical decisions for the children or on physicians’ abilities to treat patients. The court also said the law does not constitute sex discrimination and declined to treat transgender people as a protected class.
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Inc, et al. v. Kim Reynolds, et al.
The Iowa Supreme Court held that abortion is not a fundamental right under the state constitution and is only subject to rational basis review. The court reversed a lower court injunction halting the state's "fetal heartbeat" law.
Drummond v. Statewide Virtual Charter Schoolboard
Ruled that the state education board’s approval of a Catholic school's application to be a public charter school violated the Oklahoma Constitution, the federal Establishment Clause, and the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act
In re Individuals in Custody of the State
Reaffirmed court’s constitutional power in granting extraordinary relief to the Office of Public Defender during the pandemic relating to expedited release of inmates
Aparicio v. State
Held that, for purposes of victims' rights clause, victim impact letters are limited to persons who had been directly and proximately harmed by the crime
In re Williams
Ruled that state’s cruel punishment clause provides greater protection than the Eighth Amendment, and that petitioner was deprived of basic hygiene in confinement in violation of the constitution
State v. Randall
Concurrence wrote that police dog’s intrusion into car during a traffic stop was an illegal search, as using an exterior car sniff by a dog is a search under the state constitution
Laws v. Grayeyes
Concurrence wrote that Utah's separation of powers provision would not prevent the legislature from granting standing to a plaintiff and questions applying federal standing rules
State v. Walker-Brazie
Ruled that evidence seized by Border Patrol was inadmissible in a state criminal proceeding when that search did not comply with the state constitution
State v. Melvin
Ruled that acquitted conduct may not be considered in sentencing defendants under state constitution’s heightened due process rights and right to a criminal trial by jury
Pinckney v. Peeler
Ruled that statute removing confederate flag from capital and renaming other historic items did not violate prohibition on special laws or home rule provision, but severed provision requiring a supermajority to amend the law
Brooks v. Ewing Cole, Inc.
Ruled pretrial decision denying a government defendant’s right to a sovereign immunity defense in a negligence action was an immediately appealable collateral order
Fay v. Fox
Ruled victim has right to be heard on merits of defendant’s motion for a delayed appeal of restitution award under due process, prompt restitution, and finality provisions of Victims’ Bill of Rights