Summary judgment is a legal concept that is used in civil cases before trial. It is a way of deciding a case without a full trial if the court believes that there is no disputed material fact in the case. In other words, using the facts presented, the court can decide the case in the favor of either the plaintiff or the defendant without the need for a trial.
When summary judgment is entered, the court finds that either the plaintiff’s or the defendant’s case is so clearly in their favor that there is no need for a full trial. The judge will render a verdict for the party that is entitled to judgment. The judge will make a final ruling on the case and the case will move on to the appeals process or resolve itself.
Modern Example of Summary Judgment
A modern example of summary judgment occurred in Hodges v. Mason, a copyright infringement case from 2020, where the plaintiff was awarded summary judgment after a motion was filed with the court by the defendant. The defendant had argued that the plaintiff’s copyright was invalid, but the court determined that the copyright was, in fact, valid, so there was no dispute of material fact in the case and the plaintiff was awarded summary judgment.
Conclusion
In summary, summary judgment is a legal rule that allows the court to decide a case without the need for a full trial. If the court determines that there is no disputed material fact in the case, the judge can render a verdict for the party entitled to judgment and the case will move on to the appeals process or resolve itself. This legal concept applies in civil cases, and there have been a number of modern examples in which summary judgment has been used.