Indigents, costs or filing fees: Supreme Court decisions

Every U.S. Supreme Court decision from the 1946 through 2025 Terms that the Supreme Court Database classifies under the issue “Indigents, costs or filing fees,” part of the Civil Rights area.

22decisions

55%favorable to the petitioner

45%unanimous

4altered precedent or struck a law

Decisions by decade

1940s1

1950s2

1960s1

1970s8

1980s2

1990s4

2010s4

Most majority opinions

Legal provisions most often involved

Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)6

Supreme Court Rules3

Fourteenth Amendment (due process)3

Prison Litigation Reform Act, 28 U.S.C. 19151

Prison Litigation Reform Act1

28 USC 19151

Sixth Amendment (right to counsel)1

28 U.S.C. § 19151

All 22 decisions, newest first

Lomax v. Ortiz-Marquez
140 S. Ct. 1721Decided June 8, 20209–0Elena Kagan
Bruce v. Samuels
577 U.S. 1021Decided January 12, 20169–0Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Coleman v. Tollefson
575 U.S. 532Decided May 18, 20159–0Stephen G. Breyer
Hinton v. Alabama
571 U.S. 263Decided February 24, 20149–0Per curiam
Vincent F. Rivera v. Florida Department of Corrections
526 U.S. 135Decided March 22, 19998–1Per curiam
M. L. B. v. S. L. J.Law held unconstitutional
519 U.S. 102Decided December 16, 19966–3Ruth Bader Ginsburg
In re Maria Luisa Costell Gaydos
519 U.S. 59Decided December 2, 19968–1Per curiam
George F. Denton v. Mike Hernandez
504 U.S. 25Decided May 4, 19927–2Sandra Day O'Connor
Wrenn v. Benson
490 U.S. 89Decided April 17, 19896–3Per curiam
Little v. StreaterLaw held unconstitutional
452 U.S. 1Decided June 1, 19819–0Warren E. Burger
Fuller v. Oregon
417 U.S. 40Decided May 20, 19747–2Potter Stewart
Gaca v. United States
411 U.S. 618Decided May 7, 19737–2Per curiam
Ortwein v. Schwab
410 U.S. 656Decided March 5, 19735–4Per curiam
United States v. Kras
409 U.S. 434Decided January 10, 19735–4Harry A. Blackmun
James v. StrangeLaw held unconstitutional
407 U.S. 128Decided June 12, 19729–0Lewis F. Powell Jr.
Huffman v. Boersen
406 U.S. 337Decided May 15, 19729–0Per curiam
Schilb v. Kuebel
404 U.S. 357Decided December 20, 19714–3Harry A. Blackmun
Boddie v. ConnecticutLaw held unconstitutional
401 U.S. 371Decided March 2, 19718–1John M. Harlan II
Smith v. Bennett
365 U.S. 708Decided April 17, 19619–0Tom C. Clark
Douglas v. Green
363 U.S. 192Decided June 6, 19609–0Per curiam
Burns v. Ohio
360 U.S. 252Decided June 15, 19596–2Earl Warren
Adkins v. E. I. Dupont de Nemours & Co., Inc. United States
335 U.S. 331Decided November 22, 19489–0Hugo L. Black

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