Court Judgments and Rulings

Court judgments and court rulings are similar but they are not the same thing. In addition, the decisions made by judges vs. juries are both binding but somewhat different from each other. This article defines judgments and rulings and discusses the difference between decisions made by judges and those made by juries, along with how appeals may be conducted.

Definition of a Court Judgment

Judgments are decisions made by courts that detail the obligations of the parties in a civil lawsuit. For instance, in small claims court, the judge may decide that the defendant owes the plaintiff a certain amount of money which may or may not be how much the plaintiff was asking for. Once a judgment is entered, the person who owes the money in this case must pay it or suffer further penalties. A judgment is sometimes called a "decree" or an "order." Essentially, it is the court’s decision regarding a civil matter.

Definition of Court Ruling

A court ruling is also an official decision which is signed by the judge or judges who heard the case. It is more general in that it can cover such things as pretrial hearings, the actual trial, or appeals. A court ruling simply states that the parties involved in the matter must perform certain actions, or it can authorize actions to further the proceedings.

Judge vs. Jury

Some types of courts do not have jury trials, such as small claims court or (usually) juvenile courts. In general, a judge is someone with a law license who is appointed to act as a leader and decision maker in court cases. He or she is an expert in law. A jury, on the other hand, is a panel of regular citizens who are supposed to be peers of the accused. These people are not experts in law but are asked to weigh the facts in the case and come to a group decision about the innocence or guilt of the accused (in a criminal case) or which party should prevail (in a civil case). Juries may also determine the amounts of any monetary damages awarded to the winning party in a civil suit.

Filing Appeals

Appeals may be filed if a person is convicted of a crime or ordered to pay money damages in a civil lawsuit. The appeal is presented to another court (usually a higher court) and disagrees with the original decision, perhaps because the original judge made a mistake or that person was not represented properly by a lawyer.

In an appeal, the same evidence that was presented at the original trial is re-presented to a new court. The new judge examines all the evidence again and decides if mistakes were made. The original decision may be completely overturned or modified by the new judge.

There are definite time limits for appeals and certain procedures must be followed, including filing the correct documents with the correct courts. It is best to consult an attorney if you want to overturn a conviction in a criminal or civil suit.

More Information on Judge vs. Jury Rulings:

Judge Rulings

Jury Rulings