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 May 2025.
Featured Cases
Access Independent Health Services v. Wrigley
North Dakota Supreme Court upheld state's abortion ban despite three of five justices concluding a health-risk exception was unconstitutionally vague, because the state constitution requires four justices to declare legislation unconstitutional
Clarke v. Town of Newburgh
New York Court of Appeals held local government could not assert state or federal equal protection challenge to the vote dilution provision of the state's Voting Rights Act
League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature (LWV 1)
Utah Supreme Court sent partisan gerrymandering case back to lower court to consider whether the legislature violated voters' fundamental right to "reform or alter" their government when it overturned redistricting reforms passed by initiative. Lower court found legislators violated that right and struck the current congressional map, adopting an alternative proposed by the plaintiffs
State v. Thompson
Ruled police’s continued seizure of defendant’s cell phone without a warrant was not reasonably necessary to its investigation and violated unreasonable search and seizure protections
State v. Graham
Ruled prosecutor’s specific argument that defendant tailored their testimony in response to the testimony other witnesses provided at trial did not violate defendant's right to confrontation
Short v. State
Ruled executive branch’s sweep of unappropriated state general funds, including funds for educational grants, into a reserve fund did not violate legislature’s appropriation powers
Burns v. Arizona Public Service Co.
Ruled majority of commissioners of public utilities commission may not prevent an individual commissioner from exercising constitutionally granted investigatory powers
State v. Mefford
Ruled parole officer’s warrantless search of defendant’s cell phone apps exceeded any valid exception, violating searches and seizures and right to privacy clauses
State ex rel. Office of the State Engineer v. Romero
Ruled groundwater forfeiture statute allowed for partial forfeiture of petitioner’s water rights for nonuse and was consistent with constitution’s beneficial use doctrine
State ex rel. Sanduskians for Sandusky v. The City of Sandusky
Mandated city commission submit proposed city charter amendment to a special election, but commission is not constitutionally required to place proposal on general election ballot
Eddie Armstrong & Lance Huey v. Thurston
Ruled statute permitting State Board of Election Commissioners discretion to certify ballot initiative to Secretary of State conflicted with constitution’s initiative clause
Department of Corrections v. Stefano
Held that a person released from prison on electronic monitoring has due process rights implicated when they are removed from electronic monitoring and returned to prison
Leibsohn v. Hobbs
Ruled statutory registration requirements for petition circulators for ballot initiatives unreasonably hinder or restrict the initiative power
