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.
Cincinnati Enquirer v. Bloom
Found the blanket sealing of a juvenile’s delinquency records when the juvenile is found not delinquent — the juvenile equivalent of not guilty — unconstitutional because there was no determination that the harm to the juvenile outweighed the public’s right to access court records
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"
Thurston v. Safe Surgery Arkansas
Upheld preliminary injunction enjoining statute’s background check requirements on paid canvassers as unconstitutionally impairing initiative and referendum rights
Baddourah v. McMaster
Ruled that governor could suspend city councilman following domestic violence charges because the legislator exception to the suspension power refers to state legislators and the indictment charged a crime of moral turpitude
Woods v. Seattle's Union Gospel Mission
Ruled that employment discrimination statute exempting religious nonprofits from the definition of "employer" does not violate clause prohibiting the unequal granting of privileges and immunities
O.G. v. Superior Court of Ventura County
Ruled legislative amendment to initiative statute to prohibit transfer of minors under age 16 from juvenile to criminal court was constitutionally consistent with and furthered statute’s intent
City of Albuquerque v. SMP Properties, LLC
Ruled that whether a constitutional taking based on damage to a property occurred depends on the specific circumstances and requires a fact-finder to resolve disputed questions of fact
Emerson v. Hillsborough County
Ruled that county charter amendment directing allocation of tax proceeds conflicts with state law and invalidated the tax as voters would not have approved the tax without the accompanying distribution scheme
Doe v. La Fuente, Inc.
Ruled that federal test for employer-employee relationship also governs employee definition under state minimum wage amendment, and independent contractor statute does not remove the amendment's protections
City of Bloomington Board of Zoning Appeals v. UJ-Eighty Corp.
Ruled that zoning ordinance that defined fraternities and sororities based on their relationship with university was not an unconstitutional delegation of zoning authority to the university
State v. Misch
Ruled that right to bear arms clause protects a limited right to self-defense, and statute banning large-capacity magazines is a reasonable exercise of the state's police power
People v. Gordon
Ruled that to search vehicles located outside defendant's residence, search and seizure clause requires that a warrant refer to the vehicles with particularity