Daily AncestorJudgment
A judgment is a court's official final decision on the rights of the parties in a lawsuit, such as an order that the defendant pay the plaintiff a sum.
After hearing a case, the court gave judgment for one side and stated the remedy. A money judgment could be enforced by a writ of execution against the debtor's property. Courts of equity issued decrees, which served the same purpose.
Judgment books and dockets record debts, sometimes small, between neighbors. A judgment against a man can also explain a later sheriff's sale of his land.
As seen in a recordCircuit court judgment docket, 1800s
Judgment for the plaintiff for $87.25 and costs. Ex. issued
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Daily Ancestor. "Judgment." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/judgment. Last checked 2026-10-12.