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 May 2024.
Featured Cases
League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature
Sent partisan gerrymandering case back to lower court to consider whether the legislature improperly infringed citizens' lawmaking power when it overturned redistricting reforms passed by initiative. Voters' rights to "reform and alter" the law is a fundamental right.
Hodes & Nauser v. Kobach; Hodes & Nauser v. Stanek
Affirmed district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of health care providers and said that a near-total ban on a common method of second trimester abortion, called a dilation and evacuation, violated the section 1 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights, which protects a right to personal autonomy. In a second opinion, applying strict scrutiny, found unconstitutional additional licensing requirements for physicians who provide abortions than required for other providers.
Evers v. Marklein
Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 6–1 that the law permitting the effective legislative veto of agency land-conservation expenditures violated the executive branch’s “core power” to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” While the Wisconsin Constitution gives the legislature authority to create an agency, define its parameters, and appropriate funds for it, the power to spend those funds in accordance with legislation lies solely with the executive, the court said.
Hodes & Nauser v. Kobach; Hodes & Nauser v. Stanek
Affirmed district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of health care providers and said that a near-total ban on a common method of second trimester abortion, called a dilation and evacuation, violated the section 1 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights, which protects a right to personal autonomy. In a second opinion, applying strict scrutiny, found unconstitutional additional licensing requirements for physicians who provide abortions than required for other providers.
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Inc, et al. v. Kim Reynolds, et al.
The Iowa Supreme Court held that abortion is not a fundamental right under the state constitution and is only subject to rational basis review. The court reversed a lower court injunction halting the state's "fetal heartbeat" law.
Zurawski v. Texas
Held that the language in state abortion laws allowing abortions when the life of the mother is threatened is adequate to protect the health of the patient and constitutional. Plaintiffs claimed prohibition on abortions in the case of medical emergencies would violate the due course of law clause and guarantees of equal rights and privileges and equality based on sex.
LePage v. Center for Reproductive Medicine
Held that wrongful death statute applies to embryos stored as part of IVF procedure
Allegheny Reproductive Health v. Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
Reinstated lawsuit challenging constitutionality of ban on Medicaid-funded abortion and announced that the ban must survive heightened scrutiny
Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice v. Drummond
Temporarily halted three state anti-abortion laws, finding that “a limited right to terminate a pregnancy was deeply rooted in Oklahoma’s history and tradition”
Planned Parenthood of Heartland, Inc. v. Reynolds
Issued a split opinion as to the constitutionality of abortion ban, leaving in place lower court decision
Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice v. State
Ruled that legislative acts prohibiting abortion after certain cutoff points while providing for a civil enforcement mechanism were unconstitutional
Weems v. State
Held that law barring Advanced Practice Registered Nurses from performing abortions unconstitutionally interfered with individuals' privacy right to seek medical care from a qualified provider of their choice
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic v. State
Held that abortion ban violated the constitution’s right to privacy in part because six weeks is not sufficient time for women to determine they are pregnant