Waiving court costs
Collett v. Weyerhaeuser
In brief
- Where it stands
- Petition Pending
Awaiting an order on the petition
- What it’s about
- Joshua Collett asks the Supreme Court to review whether a trial judge may excuse him from court costs after weighing his $1,140 monthly income, medical condition and disability, and the winning parties’ wealth, and whether the Fifth Circuit may bar whole categories of reasons for excusing costs.
- What's at stake
- Collett’s request for Supreme Court review of the cost ruling remains unresolved.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
His petition was distributed for a conference, but that is not a decision to hear the case.
The dispute concerns how much freedom Rule 54(d)(1) gives trial judges to excuse a losing party from paying court costs.
Question presented
1. Should the district court be allowed to consider plaintiff/appellant Joshua Collett’s notable indigency ($1,140/mo. – income), medical condition and physical disability (double amputee) as well as the considerable wealth of the prevailing parties in deciding whether to relieve Mr. Collett of court costs under the broad grant of discretion in Rule 54(d)(1)? 2. Is it proper for the circuit court to preemptively exclude broad categories of reasons to relieve losing parties of court costs, thereby restricting the discretion of the district court granted by Rule 54(d)(1)? 3. Where the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals conflicts with most other circuit courts on the availability of indigency as a basis to relieve the losing party of costs under Rule 54(d)(1), should this Court resolve that conflict?
What happens next
The petition was distributed for a Nov. 13, 2026, conference. The Court must decide whether to hear it; the conference is not a grant, and no argument or decision date is set.
Documents
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Brief added: Petition
More questions
- What does Collett say the trial judge should consider?
- He says the judge should weigh his $1,140 monthly income, medical condition and disability, as well as the winning parties’ wealth.
- What does Collett challenge about the Fifth Circuit’s ruling?
- He argues that the appeals court should not bar broad categories of reasons a trial judge might use to excuse court costs.
- What conflict does Collett say needs to be resolved?
- His petition says the Fifth Circuit differs from most other appeals courts on whether indigency can justify excusing a losing party from costs.
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.