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.
Fann v. State
Ruled approved citizens’ initiative for new income tax surcharge violated Education Expenditure Clause, but not Tax Enactment Clause as a voter measure rather than legislative act
Redgrave v. Ducey
Ruled state has sovereign immunity to suit under Fair Labor Standards Act because legislature has not exercised its constitutional authority to consent to federal damages liability
State v. Bigger
Ruled statute eliminating “no fault” exception for untimely filings for post-conviction relief under Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure conflicted with court’s constitutional rulemaking authority
James v. Heinrich
Held that pandemic order restricting or prohibiting in-person instruction violated right to free exercise of religion
Odyssey 2020 Academy, Inc. v. Galveston Central Appraisal District
Ruled that the state constitution does not permit a property tax exemption for a charter school
State v. McQueen
Ruled that an arrestee had a reasonable expectation of privacy in phone call made from police station, and warrantless seizure of the recording was unconstitutional
In re Interrogatories on Senate Bill 21-247 Submitted by the Colorado General Assembly
Ruled that redistricting amendments prohibit the legislature from taking any actions that would curtail the independence of the redistricting commission or courts
Mayor & City Council of Ocean City v. Commissioners of Worcester County
Ruled tax set off statutes permitting counties to deny municipal tax setoff requests do not impermissibly regulate local affairs in violation of home rule amendment
Leidig v. State
Ruled admission of forensic test report without giving the defendant an opportunity to cross-exam the author violated confrontation clause
Buford v. State
Ruled that defendant's consent to the search of his person included the search of a specific container on his person, and so no additional consent was required