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 March 2025.
Featured Cases
Kaul v. Urmanski
Wisconsin Supreme Court held that an 1849 law, which a local prosecutor had claimed was a near-total abortion ban, is impliedly repealed as to abortion by subsequent legislation and does not ban the procedure in the state.
Contoocook Valley School District v. New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Supreme Court affirmed the state's existing education funding law is constitutionally inadequate and $7,356.01 per pupil as a minimum constitutional guidepost for the legislature, but reversed the trial court's injunction directing the state immediately to pay that amount because the court failed to give adequate weight to separation of powers concerns.
Republican National Committee v. Eternal Vigilance Action, Inc; Georgia v. Eternal Vigilance Action
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled invalid under state nondelegation principles four of seven rules passed by the Georgia State Election board, while upholding one rule. The court did not decide the validity of two other rules, holding that the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the provisions.
Arizona School Boards Association, Inc. v. State
Held budget reconciliation bills violated constitution’s title requirement by not providing notice and senate bill violated single subject rule for containing discordant subjects
DuBose v. McGuffey
Dissent would have limited appellate court review of lower court bail determinations
In re Mohammad
Ruled regulation excluding inmates convicted of a felony from early parole was a reasonable interpretation of constitutional amendment providing for nonviolent offender parole reviews
Whitehead v. Fagan
Ruled qualified voters under the constitution’s initiative provision do not include voters with inactive registration and thus whose signatures may not count on initiative petitions
State v. McCarthy
Overruled per se exigency exception to constitution’s warrant requirements, held state must prove exigent circumstances actually existed at the time of the seizure or search of defendant’s vehicle
State v. Sargent
Ruled police questioning about conditions of defendant’s pretrial release exceeded the permissible scope of a traffic stop and was an unlawful seizure
Commonwealth v. Barr
Ruled that odor of marijuana alone does not amount to probable cause to conduct a warrantless search of a vehicle under the state constitution
State v. Smith
Ruled defendant’s failure to stop for a minor traffic violation did not create an exigency for a warrantless search after defendant invoked his right to privacy in his driveway
In re Interest of Y.W.-B.
Ruled state’s protection against unreasonable searches applies to searches conducted in civil child neglect proceedings and no exception exists without consent or exigent circumstances
Commonwealth v. Talley
Ruled trial court may constitutionally deny bail if state proffers evidence under a substantially more likely than not standard that an accused is nonbailable
