Glossary
Summary judgment
A pre-trial decision by the court that one side wins without needing a trial, because there are no genuine factual disputes that require a jury. Summary judgment is granted only when the evidence is clear enough that no reasonable jury could rule the other way.
Summary judgment is one of the most common ways civil cases end. The moving party files a motion arguing that, even taking the other side's evidence at face value, the law requires judgment in their favor. They support it with affidavits, depositions, and documents.
If the court agrees, the case is decided then and there: no trial needed. If the court denies the motion, the case proceeds to trial.
A grant of summary judgment is appealable. The standard is whether a reasonable jury, looking at all the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party, could find for that party. If yes, summary judgment shouldn't have been granted.