POLS 024/105: Constitutional Law (SC): State Courts

The U.S. Supreme Court's supremacy clause stipulates that the federal Constitution and federal statutes prevail over contrary provisions in state constitutions, and the U.S. Supreme Court has occasionally invalidated state constitutional provisions on these grounds....The U.S. Supreme Court has made clear, however, that it will not review state court interpretations of state constitutional provisions that rest on “independent and adequate state grounds” and do not conflict with federal statutes or the federal Constitution.

State courts hear the vast majority of cases decided in the United States annually....Each state determines the structure and operation of its courts, and although no two state court systems are exactly alike, they share common organizational principles. Atop the state court system is the state supreme court.

Contains all available Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals, selected trial and miscellaneous court decisions from all US states, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. Years covered vary by state.

Use "Advanced Options" to select a particular state or states to search.

This search includes Pennsylvania caselaw decided by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court from 1791, the Pennsylvania Superior Courts from 1895, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Courts from 1970, the Commonwealth Court of Judicial Discipline from 1994, and decisions from the Courts of Common Pleas reported in Pennsylvania District & County Reports from 1918 and the Philadelphia County Reporter from 1977. It also includes selected unpublished decisions from 1994 for Supreme, from 1982 for Superior, and from 2008 for Commonwealth Courts.

Scroll down to the "Other State Courts" section for links to individual state courts that provide briefs on their websites.

Links to the websites for US state courts, which may or may not include briefs.