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
Hoke County Board of Education v. State of North Carolina
The North Carolina Supreme Court overturned its own precedent and put an end to more than 30 years of litigation involving the funding of public education in the state.
Commonwealth v. Lee
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that mandating a life sentence, without the possibility of parole, for “felony murder” — a legal doctrine that allows someone to be prosecuted for murder for any death that occurs during the commission of a separate felony, even if the defendant never meant to kill anyone — violates the Pennsylvania Constitution’s ban on “cruel” punishments
Luther v. Hoskins
The Missouri Supreme Court rejected voters' challenge to Missouri's new congressional district map, which the plaintiffs said ran afoul of state constitutional prohibitions on mid-decade redistricting. The court said the state constitution contained no express prohibition on mid-decade redistricting and that the map was a "valid exercise" of the "plenary legislative power to establish congressional districts."
Frazier v. Rhodenizer
Held that nearly six-year delay between driver’s license revocation hearing and issuing final revocation order violated respondent’s due process rights
Fire Protection Service v. Survitec Survival Products
Held that applying to a preexisting contract a statute prohibiting suppliers from terminating dealer agreements without good cause is not unconstitutionally retroactive
Holcomb v. Bray
Ruled that a law authorizing the legislature to call an emergency session through a simple resolution violated constitution’s fixed-by-law requirement as well as the distribution of powers mandate
Palade v. Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas System
Ruled tenured faculty claims that university’s revised policy violated contracts and free communication clauses lacked standing, ripeness, and justiciability
Meyer v. Knudsen
Ruled constitution’s restriction that legislation by initiative may not appropriate funds does not apply to constitutional amendments proposed by initiative
Ex parte Pinkard
Ruled constitution’s absolute state immunity clause does not bar claims that name and seek relief only from individual state employees in their personal capacity
Shea v. State
Held that the constitution grants the legislature broad authority to determine public education policy, prohibiting judicial review of the adequacy and allocation of education funding
State v. Wellknown
Concurrence would have held that state constitution provides greater protection against discriminatory peremptory challenges than the federal constitution
State v. Robinson
Ruled legislature treated fetus as a type of child in aggravator factor statute for capital cases resulting in constitutionally permissible basis to support aggravator finding
The Village of Newburgh Heights v. State
Held that a statute reducing a municipality's state funding by an amount equal to the fines collected from traffic camera citations did not violate home rule authority
