Coleman v. Tollefson, 575 U.S. 532 (2015), is a United States Supreme Court case dealing with a prisoner's inability to file lawsuits in forma pauperis after filing 3 lawsuits which are dismissed because they are "frivolous, malicious, or [fail] to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.

§ 1915(g)[3] provides an exception for prisoners who have "on 3 or more occasions, while incarcerated..., brought an action or appeal in a court of the United States that was dismissed on the grounds that it is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted."

The decision to deny Coleman's in forma pauperis motion was affirmed by the District Court, and the Sixth Circuit.

[4] Coleman appealed to the United States Supreme Court, who granted certiorari, referring to Henslee v. Keller,[5] which lists (and agrees with) seven other circuit courts who disagreed with the Sixth Circuit.

Although the Solicitor General (arguing on behalf of the government) agreed with Coleman regarding this point, the Supreme Court declined on decide on the point, stating that if "the situation Coleman hypothesizes does arise, the courts can consider the problem in context."