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
State v. Peterson
Dissent wrote that statute criminalizing sale of heroin violated equal protection clause because the same conduct is criminalized under another controlled substance statute which carries a different penalty
State v. Arnett
Ruled that the criminal restitution scheme violates the right to a jury trial under the state constitution
State v. Brown
Ruled statute authorizing judge, not jury, to make criminal history findings for sentencing did not violate right to a jury trial; statute allowing judge to set restitution implicated the right but was severable
State v. Jordan
Dissent wrote that warrantless arrest of defendant when police had ample time to secure a warrant violated constitution’s protection against unreasonable search and seizure
League of Women Voters of Honolulu v. State
Ruled legislature’s replacement of a recidivism bill with a hurricane shelter bill violated constitution’s requirement of three readings to begin anew because the amendment was non-germane
In re Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission
Ruled constitutional provision for congressional redistricting process did not create new protections against minority vote dilution beyond those provided by the federal Voting Rights Act
State v. Calabrese
Ruled that defendant had standing to challenge a search based on a participatory interest in evidence seized on girlfriend’s property and clarified that the driveway is a protected area
State v. Davis
Ruled that use of information obtained during two warrantless police entries into enclosed porch and interior of defendant’s home violated guarantee against unreasonable searches
State v. Walker-Brazie
Ruled that evidence seized by Border Patrol was inadmissible in a state criminal proceeding when that search did not comply with the state constitution
People v. House
Dissent would have held mandatory minimum life sentence for murder as a young adult offender does not violate state constitution's proportionate penalties clause as applied
