The Supreme Court has issued a warning to individuals against the misuse of legal processes by repeatedly filing cases without paying the necessary fees.
In a recent order list released on Monday, the court informed three petitioners that their requests to proceed without incurring costs, known as in forma pauperis, were denied.
Citing the case of Martin v. District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the court directed the clerk not to accept petitions for noncriminal matters from the petitioner until the required docketing fee under Rule 38(a) was paid and Rule 33.1 was followed.
During the 2023-2024 term, the court issued 29 such cautions to individuals.
On Monday, the court informed a Louisiana inmate, a federal inmate, and a hospital employee under VA about the requirement to pay a $300 docketing charge and to format future petitions as specified before their cases would be accepted.
Explaining the term in forma pauperis, Badas clarified that it refers to individuals filing lawsuits who lack the financial resources to cover the fees.
Badas emphasized that while individuals can present cases, the Supreme Court, as in the case of Martin, reserves the right to deny the status of in forma pauperis to those who abuse the system by filing multiple frivolous lawsuits and require them to pay the fees.
In a 1992 ruling concerning James Martin, the court restricted him from submitting further petitions without paying fees due to his repeated and baseless filings, which drained the Court’s resources.
Badas underscored that this action aims to prevent individuals from incessantly filing bad faith claims that waste the Court’s time due to their inability to pay the fees.
The Supreme Court, with two weeks remaining in the term, faces crucial cases, including challenges related to the abortion drug mifepristone and the immunity of former President Donald Trump’s actions during his term.