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
State v. Craigen
Ruled that evidence resulting from a violation of defendant’s constitutional right to counsel during police interrogation should have been suppressed, including evidence of yet uncharged crimes
A.J.B. v. Montana Eighteenth Judicial District Court
Ruled statute excepting parents and children subject to the Indian Welfare Child Act from eligibility for emergency protective services hearings violated equal protection
State v. Canosa
Ruled that state’s unreasonable delay in sentencing deprived defendant of fundamentally fair sentencing proceedings and allocution rights violating due process clause
Planned Parenthood Great Northwest v. State
Held that the state constitution does not implicitly provide a fundamental right to an abortion because such a right is not “deeply rooted” in the state’s traditions and history
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic v. State
Held that abortion ban violated the constitution’s right to privacy in part because six weeks is not sufficient time for women to determine they are pregnant
State v. Staudenmayer
Ruled that admission into evidence of court clerk’s minute entries relaying defendant’s absence from an omnibus hearing did not violate confrontation clause
Mallard v. Warden, New Hampshire State Prison
Ruled that defense counsel’s deficient performance by appealing to racial bias during a jury trial violated defendant’s rights to effective assistance of counsel and a fair trial
Kligler v. Attorney General
Ruled that there is no fundamental right to physician-assisted suicide
Brandt v. Pompa
Ruled that the compensatory damages caps for noneconomic loss is unconstitutional as applied to child victims of intentional criminal conduct
McClain v. State
Ruled no state constitutional right to a jury trial in civil suit for wrongful imprisonment because claim did not exist in common law
