Accessing PACER from a courthouse is free. Accessing PACER for a case you are involved in is free. Getting judicial opinions from PACER is free. If you convince a judge that the cost of PACER is a burden to you, it is free. And finally, PACER doesn't actually charge you anything until you owe them more than $15 in a 3-month period - it is not cumulative: if your balance is less than $15, it goes to 0.
... other than the half day you had to take off work, transportation to the courthouse and fees for printing out an electronic document -- and that is if you are local. What if I want to get a 'free' document in a court that is 2,000 miles away?
> Accessing PACER for a case you are involved in is free.
This is false. If you are an ECF user you theoretically can get "one free view" of a document as they are filed in a case you are a party, however this rarely works so you end up having to pay the pacer fee anyway. You still have to pay PACER fees anytime you view the docket, search, or view any document in a "case you are involved in".
> Getting judicial opinions from PACER is free.
... a relative recent development and only covers some opinions.
> If you convince a judge that the cost of PACER is a burden to you, it is free.
Really? You have a citation for that? I'm sure I can convince at least one federal judge my several thousand dollar a month pacer bill is a burden. That would be great.