A well-intended state statute, Connecticut General Statutes § 52-259b allows Connecticut courts to waive filing fees and service of process fees for indigents with no income, or income falling below the poverty level, but despite the laudable intent, it gives rise to unequal court access and encourages an avalanche of frivolous litigation. State Rep. Timothy Bowles (D-Preston), has proposed a bill to address the flaws in the statute by requiring community service in lieu of fee waivers in situations where an indigent seeks a fee waiver for lawsuits involving money damages.
The flaws in the fee waiver statute are readily apparent in the face of widespread abuses at the hands of serial filers who are encouraged to file largely frivolous lawsuits because they simply have nothing to lose. The unintended consequence of the fee waiver is that it has created a class of people who will literally sue at the "drop of a hat."
