§ 1274 Informer to pay costs, when.

If someone files a criminal case as an informer, hoping to collect part of a penalty or fine if the case succeeds, they take on some financial risk. If that person decides to drop the case, or if they lose it, they have to pay all the court costs that piled up during the case.

There is one exception. If the person filing the case is a government official whose job requires them to bring these kinds of cases, they don't have to pay the costs personally. This exception protects officers who are just doing their job, while making everyday informers responsible for the costs if their case doesn't work out.

This rule basically discourages people from filing weak or unnecessary cases just to try to get a share of a penalty. If you're going to file this kind of lawsuit hoping for a payout, you need to be prepared to cover the costs if things don't go your way.