Also known as: entering a judgment · entered a judgment · entry of judgment · enter judgment · judgment entry
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A formal act by which a court or its clerk records a judicial decision as the official judgment in a case. The entry fixes the decision for purposes of appeal deadlines, enforcement, and finality.
Emerald Enterprises sued Ezra Eastman for an unpaid invoice of exactly $47,500. After Eastman failed to appear or answer, Emerald submitted an affidavit showing the sum due. The clerk entered judgment for that amount plus costs under the rule for sum-certain claims.
Elliot Edmonds was tried for theft. The jury returned a guilty verdict that remained intact. Because the court later entered judgment on that verdict, the prosecution counted as a conviction that barred a second trial on the same charge.
Emanuel Escobar stood trial for wire fraud. After the government rested, the evidence showed only ambiguous logs with no proof of intent. On Escobar's motion the court entered a judgment of acquittal because the proof could not sustain a conviction.
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Edith Eberhardt obtained a dissolution decree against Edgar Evers. The court later considered the parties' resources and entered a separate order requiring Evers to pay $18,000 in attorney fees directly to Eberhardt's counsel.
Everest Holdings lost a contract suit. Thirty days after the clerk entered judgment, the company filed a motion for new trial. The court denied the motion because it was filed more than twenty-eight days after entry.
Elijah Edwards was convicted of conspiracy after a jury trial. The court later concluded the evidence was insufficient and entered a judgment of acquittal, setting aside the verdict.
A clerk must enter judgment for a sum certain when the defendant has defaulted for failure to appear, the plaintiff supplies an affidavit of the amount due, and the defendant is neither a minor nor incompetent.
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Yes. Most appeal periods run from the date the judgment is entered on the docket, not from the date the decision is announced.
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The court sets aside the verdict and enters a judgment of acquittal, ending the prosecution on that charge without a new trial.
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No. A conviction requires entry of judgment on the verdict or acceptance of a guilty plea. An unentered verdict does not bar a second prosecution.
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…of a State can be applied to a transaction is different from the question whether the courts of that State have jurisdiction to enter a judgment . . . ." 357 U. S., at 258. [^maj-46]: See, e. g. , Del. Code Ann., Tit. 8, §§ 143, 145 (1975 ed. and Supp. 1976). [^maj-47]: See, e. g. , Conn. Gen. Stat. Rev. § 33-322 (1976); N. C.…