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
Winchester v. State
Held that Maine courts must apply a “flexible balancing test” weighing all relevant circumstances in assessing speedy trial violations
Vitale v. Bellows Falls Union High School
Held that Education clause does not require the state to pay for children to attend the school of their parents' choice, and the state may select any appropriate, substantially equal, means for providing education
In re Petition for Emergency Remedy By Maryland State Board of Elections
Ruled that election law delegating task of protecting electoral integrity to courts did not violate constitution’s separation of powers clause as the task was a judicial function
In re Smart
Ruled that state constitution does not bestow a legally protected interest in obtaining a commutation hearing that would implicate procedural due process rights
Commonwealth v. Privette
Ruled that investigating officers’ knowledge giving rise to reasonable suspicion can be imputed to an acting officer so long as there was awareness of some critical facts and communication with those officers
Johnson v. State
Ruled that defendants do not have a constitutional right to hybrid representation, but that there is also no constitutional prohibition against it
State v. Pool
Ruled where the protections against unlawful searches under the federal and state constitution are coextensive, a valid waiver of rights under one constitution constitutes consent to conduct covered by both constitutions
State v. Brearcliffe
Ruled that defendant must receive notice their right to appeal may be waived if their absence prevents sentencing from occurring within ninety days after conviction
LS Power Midcontinent, LLC v. State
Permanently enjoined a law enacting a right of first refusal in competitive bidding for violating title and single-subject requirements under Iowa's Constitution and held that the injunction applies retroactively.
People v. Mayfield
Ruled that the court's administrative orders tolling the speedy-trial statute did not violate the Illinois Constitution's separation-of-powers clause.
