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 January 2025.
Featured Cases
People v. Taylor; People v. Czarnecki
Michigan Supreme Court held that mandatory life-without-parole sentences violate the state constitution’s protection against “cruel or unusual” punishment for anyone under age 21 at the time of the offense. The decision extends the court’s 2022 ruling in People v. Parks that such sentences are unconstitutional for those 18 or under.
Griffin v. State Board of Elections
A candidate for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court, who lost by over 700 votes, claims that the state board of elections followed an incorrect process for registering voters and seeks in invalidate more than 60,000 votes.
N'Da v. Hybl
Nebraska Supreme Court held that statutory requirement that applicant seeking certificate to provide nonemergency medical transport must show the proposed service is required by "public convenience and necessity" does not facially violate state constitutional due process or bans on "special laws" or laws granting "special privileges and immunities." Also held that that the Nebraska Constitution's due process and equal protection clauses are coextensive with their federal equivalents, so federal rational basis review applies to substantive due process challenges to economic regulations, not the heightened standard the court had applied in a line of cases from the early 20th century.
Meyer v. Knudsen
Ruled constitution’s restriction that legislation by initiative may not appropriate funds does not apply to constitutional amendments proposed by initiative
Ex parte Pinkard
Ruled constitution’s absolute state immunity clause does not bar claims that name and seek relief only from individual state employees in their personal capacity
Shea v. State
Held that the constitution grants the legislature broad authority to determine public education policy, prohibiting judicial review of the adequacy and allocation of education funding
State v. Wellknown
Concurrence would have held that state constitution provides greater protection against discriminatory peremptory challenges than the federal constitution
State v. Robinson
Ruled legislature treated fetus as a type of child in aggravator factor statute for capital cases resulting in constitutionally permissible basis to support aggravator finding
The Village of Newburgh Heights v. State
Held that a statute reducing a municipality's state funding by an amount equal to the fines collected from traffic camera citations did not violate home rule authority
Caruso v. Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada
Dissent would have held that separation of powers prohibits a state legislator from also serving as a prosecutor, an executive branch function
Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County v. Tennessee Department of Education
Ruled that a program redirecting money from local public school systems directly to some students to pay for private school tuition did not violate home rule provision
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
State v. McAlpin
Dissent would have held that defendants have a constitutional right to hybrid representation, in which defendant and defense counsel share responsibilities
