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 April 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. Moon
Held that the right to a jury trial requires that the jury be sworn to try the case
Moore v. Stirling
Held that though habeas review is limited to constitutional issues, this includes alleged violations of a statute mandating sentence proportionality review because violations would implicate due process rights
All Star Awards & Ad Specialties, Inc. v. HALO Branded Solutions
Held that a statutory damages cap did not violate the right to a jury trial because the relevant claims would not have been tried by a jury in 1820 when the constitutional right was adopted
Westlawn Cemeteries, LLC v. The Louisiana Cemetery Board
Held that a rule governing cemetery trusts exceeded the promulgating agency's authority, violating the constitution's separation of powers provision
Mellor v. The Parish of Jefferson
Held that a local traffic ordinance tasking school boards with enforcement violated home rule provisions which prohibit local legislative bodies from affecting school boards
Kellogg v. National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Ruled that a retroactive law permitting new civil claims by family members did not violate the contracts or due process rights of a tortfeasor that had no affected vested right
Hawkins v. Ivey
Ruled statutes affording governor’s discretion to opt out of federally enhanced unemployment benefits programs did not create exception to state immunity under constitution
Boyd v. State
Held that the state's education funding and property taxation system did not violate the education, proportional contribution, or common benefits clauses of the constitution
Thourtman v. Junior
Held that, despite right to pretrial release, a court may detain a defendant without setting release conditions to first conduct a hearing to determine the defendant's eligibility for release
State v. Poe
Held that right to restitution for crime victims does not confer standing on victims to seek or renew orders of restitution in criminal cases when the state declines to do so
