Timmie Cole, Sr. v. J. Ray Ormond

SUTTON, Circuit Judge.

Indigent individuals may seek permission in the district court to appeal adverse judgments without prepayment of appellate filing fees. At issue in today's five consolidated cases, each filed under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 , is whether district courts may grant such motions in part by requiring litigants to prepay some, but not all, of the $505 appellate court filing fee. The law at issue says that a federal court "may authorize the commencement, prosecution or defense of any suit, action or proceeding, civil or criminal, or appeal therein, without prepayment of fees" by a…