No merits, adequate non-federal grounds: Supreme Court decisions

Every U.S. Supreme Court decision from the 1946 through 2025 Terms that the Supreme Court Database classifies under the issue “No merits, adequate non-federal grounds,” part of the Judicial Power area.

Legal provisions most often involved

All 21 decisions, newest first

• Terry L. Stewart v. Robert Douglas Smith
  536 U.S. 856Decided June 28, 20029–0Per curiam
• Remon Lee v. Mike Kemna
  534 U.S. 362Decided January 22, 20026–3Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• International Longshoremen's Association v. Davis
  476 U.S. 380Decided May 27, 19869–0Byron R. White
• Colorado v. Nunez
  465 U.S. 324Decided February 21, 19849–0Per curiam
• Florida v. Casal
  462 U.S. 637Decided June 17, 19839–0Per curiam
• Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. v. Jerome
  434 U.S. 241Decided January 9, 19787–2Per curiam
• Paschall v. Christie-Stewart, Inc.
  414 U.S. 100Decided November 19, 19737–2Per curiam
• Ohio Municipal Judges Assn. v. Davis
  411 U.S. 144Decided March 26, 19739–0Per curiam
• Black Unity League of Kentucky v. Miller
  394 U.S. 100Decided March 3, 19698–1Per curiam
• Department of Mental Hygiene of California v. Kirchner
  380 U.S. 194Decided March 8, 19658–1John M. Harlan II
• Henry v. Mississippi
  379 U.S. 443Decided January 18, 19656–3William J. Brennan Jr.
• Jankovich v. Indiana Toll Road Commission
  379 U.S. 487Decided January 18, 19657–2Byron R. White
• Wilson v. Loew's Incorporated
  355 U.S. 597Decided March 3, 19588–1Per curiam
• Durley v. Mayo
  351 U.S. 277Decided June 4, 19565–4Harold H. Burton
• Black v. Cutter Laboratories
  351 U.S. 292Decided June 4, 19566–3Tom C. Clark
• Edelman v. California
  344 U.S. 357Decided January 12, 19537–2Tom C. Clark
• Dixon v. Duffy
  344 U.S. 143Decided December 8, 19528–1Fred M. Vinson
• Hammerstein v. Superior Court of California
  341 U.S. 491Decided May 28, 19515–4Per curiam
• Roth v. Delano
  338 U.S. 226Decided November 7, 19498–0Robert H. Jackson
• Hedgebeth v. North Carolina
  334 U.S. 806Decided June 14, 19487–2Per curiam
• Rescue Army v. Municipal Court of Los Angeles
  331 U.S. 549Decided June 9, 19477–2Wiley B. Rutledge

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error