List of notable United States state supreme court cases
Encyclopedia
Every year, each of the 50 United States state supreme court
s decides hundreds of cases. Of those cases dealing with state law
, a few significantly shape or re-shape the law of their state or are so influential that they later become models for decisions of other states or the federal government, or are noted for being rejected by other jurisdictions. The same is true of those cases involving a federal question, except that these may be appealed to the United States Supreme Court. This list contains notable final decisions of these courts – those that were not subject to appeal, or from which no appeal was taken, or from which an appeal was taken but certiorari
was denied. Appealed decisions that are notable primarily because of later actions of the U.S. Supreme Court covered in the listings of U.S. Supreme Court cases. The decisions are listed in chronological order.
State supreme court
In the United States, the state supreme court is the highest state court in the state court system ....
s decides hundreds of cases. Of those cases dealing with state law
State law
In the United States, state law is the law of each separate U.S. state, as passed by the state legislature and adjudicated by state courts. It exists in parallel, and sometimes in conflict with, United States federal law. These disputes are often resolved by the federal courts.-See also:*List of U.S...
, a few significantly shape or re-shape the law of their state or are so influential that they later become models for decisions of other states or the federal government, or are noted for being rejected by other jurisdictions. The same is true of those cases involving a federal question, except that these may be appealed to the United States Supreme Court. This list contains notable final decisions of these courts – those that were not subject to appeal, or from which no appeal was taken, or from which an appeal was taken but certiorari
Certiorari
Certiorari is a type of writ seeking judicial review, recognized in U.S., Roman, English, Philippine, and other law. Certiorari is the present passive infinitive of the Latin certiorare...
was denied. Appealed decisions that are notable primarily because of later actions of the U.S. Supreme Court covered in the listings of U.S. Supreme Court cases. The decisions are listed in chronological order.
1900–1949
- Wood v. Lucy, Lady Duff-GordonWood v. Lucy, Lady Duff-GordonWood v. Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, 222 N.Y. 88, 118 N.E. 214 , is a New York state contract case in which the New York Court of Appeals held Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, to a contract that assigned the sole right to market her name to her advertising agent....
, 222 N.Y. 88, 118 N.E. 214Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(N.Y. 1917): A contract for exclusive representation implied considerationConsiderationConsideration is the central concept in the common law of contracts and is required, in most cases, for a contract to be enforceable. Consideration is the price one pays for another's promise. It can take a number of forms: money, property, a promise, the doing of an act, or even refraining from...
. - Dodge v. Ford Motor CompanyDodge v. Ford Motor CompanyDodge v. Ford Motor Company, 204 Mich. 459, 170 N.W. 668. , is a case in which the Michigan Supreme Court held that Henry Ford owed a duty to the shareholders of the Ford Motor Company to operate his business to profit his shareholders, rather than the community as a whole or employees...
, 204 Mich. 459, 170 N.W. 668Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(Mich.Michigan Supreme CourtThe Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...
1919): Owners of a company with investors have a duty to operate the business for profitable purposes as opposed to charitableCharitable organizationA charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
purposes. - Meinhard v. SalmonMeinhard v. SalmonMeinhard v. Salmon, 164 N.E. 545 , is a widely cited case in which the New York Court of Appeals held that partners in a business owe fiduciary duties to one another where a business opportunities arises during the course of the partnership...
, 249 N.Y. 458, 164 N.E. 545Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(N.Y. 1928): A fiduciary duty exists between business partnersPartnershipA partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.Since humans are social beings, partnerships between individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments, and varied combinations thereof, have always been and remain commonplace...
. - Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co.Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co.Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co., 248 N.Y. 339, 162 N.E. 99 , was a decision by the New York Court of Appeals written by Chief Judge Benjamin Cardozo, a leading figure in the development of American common law and later a Supreme Court justice...
, 162 N.E. 99Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(N.Y. 1928): Liability for injuries caused by negligence extends only to those within a zone of danger within which the injury was foreseeable. - Hawkins v. McGeeHawkins v. McGeeHawkins v. McGee, 84 N.H. 114, 146 A. 641 , is a leading case on damages in contracts handed down by the New Hampshire Supreme Court. It has come to be known as the "Hairy Hand" case from the circumstances, because a subsequent decision uses the phrase.This case is famous for its mention in the...
, 84 N.H. 114, 146 A. 641Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(N.H.New Hampshire Supreme CourtThe New Hampshire Supreme Court is the supreme court of the U. S. state of New Hampshire and sole appellate court of the state. The Supreme Court is seated in the state capital, Concord. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices appointed by the Governor and Executive...
1929): Expectation damagesDamagesIn law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
in contracts.
1950–Present
- Lucy v. ZehmerLucy v. ZehmerLucy v. Zehmer, 196 Va. 493; 84 S.E.2d 516 was a court case in the Supreme Court of Virginia about the enforceability of a contract based on outward appearance of the agreement. It is commonly taught in first-year contract law classes at American law schools.-Facts:Defendant A. H. Zehmer and his...
, 196 Va. 493; 84 S.E.2d 516Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(1954): validity of a contract based on reasonable inferences drawn from other party's behavior - Garratt v. DaileyGarratt v. DaileyGarratt v. Dailey, 46 Wash. 2d 197, 279 P.2d 1091 is a famous tort law case that illustrates the principle of "intent" for intentional torts.- Background :...
, 279 P.2d 1091Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(Wash.Washington Supreme CourtThe Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices. of the Court are elected to six-year terms...
1955): tortious intent of a child - Katko v. BrineyKatko v. BrineyKatko v. Briney, 183 N.W.2d 657 , was a famous tort case decided by the Supreme Court of Iowa, in which a homeowner was held liable for battery for injuries caused to a trespasser who set off a spring gun set as a mantrap in an abandoned house on the homeowner's property.Case Brief: Briney...
, 183 N.W.2d 657Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(IowaIowa Supreme CourtThe Iowa Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Iowa. As constitutional head of the Iowa Judicial Branch, the Court is composed of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices....
1971): Landowners have no right to set deadly traps against trespassers on their property. - Baker v. NelsonBaker v. NelsonRichard John Baker v. Gerald R. Nelson was a case in which the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Minnesota law limited marriage to different-sex couples and that this limitation did not violate the United States Constitution...
, 291 Minn. 310Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(Minn.Minnesota Supreme CourtThe Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by...
1971): Same-sex marriage prohibited in MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. - The People v. Robert Page AndersonCalifornia v. AndersonThe People of the State of California v. Robert Page Anderson, 493 P.2d 880, 6 Cal. 3d 628 , was a landmark case in the state of California that outlawed the use of capital punishment...
, 64 Cal.2d 633, 414 P.2d 366Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(Cal.Supreme Court of CaliforniaThe Supreme Court of California is the highest state court in California. It is headquartered in San Francisco and regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its decisions are binding on all other California state courts.-Composition:...
1972): Capital punishment unconstitutional in California - Li v. Yellow Cab Co.Li v. Yellow Cab Co.Li v. Yellow Cab Co., 532 P.2d 1226, 13 Cal.3d 804 , commonly referred to simply as Li, is a California Supreme Court case that judicially embraced comparative negligence in California tort law, rejecting strict contributory negligence....
, 13 Cal.3d 804Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(1975): comparative negligenceComparative negligenceComparative negligence, or non-absolute contributory negligence outside of the United States, is a partial legal defense that reduces the amount of damages that a plaintiff can recover in a negligence-based claim based upon the degree to which the plaintiff's own negligence contributed to cause... - Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of CaliforniaTarasoff v. Regents of the University of CaliforniaTarasoff v. Regents of the University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425, 551 P.2d 334, 131 Cal. Rptr. 14 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of California held that mental health professionals have a duty to protect individuals who are being threatened with bodily harm by a patient...
, 17 Cal. 3d 425, 551 P.2d 334, 131 Cal. Rptr. 14Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(Cal. 1976): Mental health professionals have a duty to protect specific persons who were threatened by their patients. - Goodridge v. Department of Public HealthGoodridge v. Department of Public HealthGoodridge v. Dept. of Public Health, 798 N.E.2d 941 , was a landmark state appellate court case dealing with same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. The November 18, 2003, decision was the first by a U.S...
, 798 N.E.2d 941Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(Mass.Massachusetts Supreme Judicial CourtThe Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The SJC has the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the Western Hemisphere.-History:...
2003): Right of same-sex couples to marry in MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. - Bush v. Schiavo, 885 So.2d 321Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(Fla.Florida Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. The Supreme Court consists of seven judges: the Chief Justice and six Justices who are appointed by the Governor to 6-year terms and remain in office if retained in a general election near the end of each...
2004): A law enacted to permit the governor to retroactively stay court-ordered removal of a feeding tube was an unconstitutional invasion of the separation of powers. - People v. LaVallePeople v. LaVallePeople v. LaValle, 3 N.Y.3d 88 , was a landmark decision by the New York Court of Appeals, the highest court in the U.S. state of New York, in which the court ruled that the state's death penalty statute was unconstitutional because of the statute's direction on how the jury was to be instructed...
, 3 N.Y.3d 88Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(2004): Death penalty statute declared unconstitutional in New York. - Lewis v. HarrisLewis v. HarrisLewis v. Harris, 188 N.J. 415; 908 A.2d 196 , is a New Jersey Supreme Court case that held that same-sex couples are entitled to the same equal protection as heterosexual couples under the state constitution....
, 908 A.2d 196Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(N.J. 2006): Holding that same-sex couples deserve equal rights under the law, but stopping short of creating same-sex marriage. - Varnum v. BrienVarnum v. BrienVarnum v. Brien, 763 N.W.2d 862 , is an Iowa court case in which six same-sex couples filed suit against Timothy Brien, Polk County Recorder, for refusing to grant marriage licenses to them...
, WL 874044Case citationCase citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(Iowa 2009): Holding that Iowa's defense of marriage act violated the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution.