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. Wright
Held that a warrantless search of a citizen's trash left out for collection violates the state constitution
Velazquez v. University Physician Associates
Dissent wrote that statute capping non-economic damages for statutory medical malpractice cause of action violates constitutional right to trial by jury
Doyle v. Tidball
Ruled that because voter-initiated amendment expanding Medicaid does not expressly appropriate money, such amendment does not violate constitutional prohibition against appropriation by initiative
Smith v. Isakson
Ruled that courts must look to offense's historical nature and the severity of the penalty to determine whether right to jury trial was preserved for the crime
Edwards v. Thomas
Held that the Child Passenger Protection Act does not violate the separation of powers doctrine of the state constitution
Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation v. Commonwealth
Ruled that statutes diverting to the state's general fund revenue generated from oil and gas leases on state lands violate clause placing the state's natural resources in public trust
Carrigan v. New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services
Ruled that taxpayers' standing to seek declaration that the state misspent public funds only extends to discrete governmental spending action, not overall allocation of resources
Odyssey 2020 Academy, Inc. v. Galveston Central Appraisal District
Ruled that the state constitution does not permit a property tax exemption for a charter school
James v. Heinrich
Held that pandemic order restricting or prohibiting in-person instruction violated right to free exercise of religion
State v. Recall Dunleavy
Ruled recall committee exercising constitutional right to recall governor submitted legally and factually sufficient allegations to Division of Elections to certify application
