Civil procedure
Judgment
A judgment is the court's final decision resolving the claims in a case and stating who wins and what they get.
It is a separate document from the opinion explaining the reasoning. The opinion can run eighty pages; the judgment is often three lines saying judgment is entered for the defendant and the case is closed. Deadlines for appeals and for post-trial motions run from its entry.
A money judgment is also an enforceable instrument. Once entered, the winner can register it, garnish accounts, and put liens on property, which is why collecting is a separate phase of work after trial.
For research the judgment is the fastest answer to who won. The opinion explains reasoning, but the judgment states the outcome in a sentence, and it is the document from which every post-trial deadline is counted.
How it appears on a docket
JUDGMENT entered in favor of defendant Acme Logistics, Inc. and against plaintiff Maria Rodriguez. Case closed.
Governing rule
Fed. R. Civ. P. 54, 58
Related terms
- Final Judgment — A final judgment is a decision that ends the case on the merits and leaves nothing for the trial court to do but enforce it.
- Notice of Appeal — A notice of appeal is the short filing that starts an appeal by telling the trial court which judgment is being appealed and to which court.
More on civil procedure
See this term in a real case
Search federal court records and read the filings where judgment actually shows up. New to federal dockets? Start with how to find a federal case.