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
People v. Parks
Held that mandatory sentences of life without parole for people who are 18 at the time of the crime are unconstitutional under the state constitution
State v. The Alaska Legislative Council
Ruled legislature’s education appropriation from a future fiscal year’s budget violates constitution’s budgetary clauses’ implied requirement that funds be appropriated annually
State v. Donovan
Ruling police seizure of defendant violated constitutional right to be free from unreasonable seizures when they had no articulable, reasonable suspicion to justify seizure
Zolly v. City of Oakland
Ruled city's fees for private waste hauling contracts were not exempt from constitution's voter approval requirement for imposition of taxes
Brunson v. State
Concurred to deny post-conviction relief petition as meritless but restricting defendant's future filings in forma pauperis violated constitutional right to access to courts
Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation v. Commonwealth
Ruled statute diverting public land trust funds to General Assembly does not facially violate constitution's Environmental Rights Amendment
People v. Stovall
Ruled parolable life sentence for defendant who committed 2nd degree murder while a juvenile constitutes cruel or unusual punishment violating Michigan Constitution
State v. Gray
Ruled Oregon Constitution’s right to counsel provision allows defendant to have counsel present in grand jury room for consultation during defendant’s testimony
Bauserman v. Unemployment Insurance Agency
Ruled money damages available for constitutional tort claims unless enforcement of relevant constitutional right is delegated to another branch of government
State v. Graham
Ruled constitution’s guarantee of victims’ right to be heard at sentencing does not authorize police testimony on behalf of victims as relevant victim impact evidence
