summary judgment
Case decided early
Summary judgment is a court ruling that resolves a case without a full trial, granted when the facts are undisputed and one party is clearly entitled to win as a matter of law.
A judge issues summary judgment when there's nothing for a jury to decide: The court granted summary judgment to the defendant because the plaintiff's claim had no factual basis.
Either side may move for summary judgment, arguing that the evidence leaves no genuine issue to try.
Change in position
- pleadingsFormal litigation documents
- briefShort in duration
- discoveryAct of finding something
- affidavitSworn written statement
deposition · burden of proof · prima facie · material fact · admissible · evidence · opposition · reply
Removal from position
- grantedGiven or allowed officially
- deniedRefused or disavowed
- partialFavoring one side
- rulingFormal legal determination
order · determination · merits · with prejudice · without prejudice
Civil case initiator
- defendantParty facing charges
- counselExpert guidance offered
- attorneyLicensed legal representative
- magistrateCivil judicial officer
court · jurisdiction · civil procedure · federal court · state court · appellate · litigant · case management
Information affecting a decision
- inferenceConclusion reached through reasoning
- credibilityQuality inspiring trust
- disputedArgued over, unresolved
- undisputedUniversally accepted as true
Ending all debate
- bindingLegally or morally required
- dispositiveSettling an issue conclusively
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
- preclusiveBlocking in advance
motion
Change in position
affidavit · deposition · burden of proof · prima facie · material fact · admissible · evidence · opposition · reply · oral argument
dismissal
Removal from position
ruling · order · determination · merits · with prejudice · without prejudice
plaintiff
Civil case initiator
magistrate · court · jurisdiction · civil procedure · federal court · state court · appellate · litigant · case management · pretrial
material fact
Information affecting a decision
- inferenceConclusion reached through reasoning
- credibilityQuality inspiring trust
- disputedArgued over, unresolved
conclusive
Ending all debate
- bindingLegally or morally required
- dispositiveSettling an issue conclusively
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
- legal termstrial, legal, appeal, lawsuit, law
- litigationpleadings, lawsuit, plaintiff, complaint, lawsuits
- civil trialsplaintiff, lawsuit, jury trial, bench trial, jury
- court actionsadjudication, sentencing hearing, arraignment, plea hearing, bail setting
- court orderscourt order, injunction, order, subpoena, summons
- Court Procedureadjournment, civil procedure, trial procedure, trial process, criminal procedure
summary judgmenttrial
Judicial examination of claims
jury trial · bench trial · trial verdict · trial by jury · jury verdict
judge, judgment, judged, summary, judges, judging, summarize, misjudge, prejudiced