What are Legal Judgments?

Legal judgments are basically the announcements of the court as to which party in the suit prevailed. It declares and defines the rights of the party, and imposes upon the losing person the obligation to compensate the plaintiff for all his 'sufferings'.


Legal judgments are orders or decrees issued by a court of competent jurisdiction. It disposes of the controversy filed before it for adjudication. The term is essentially all-encompassing as it includes both criminal and civil judgments. A court can legally dispose of the suit brought before it as long as the tribunal has jurisdiction over the persons of the parties involved, and in the subject matter of the case.

Legal Judgments on Criminal Cases

Legal judgments involved in criminal suits usually call for the imprisonment or the acquittal of the accused. The burden of proving that the accused has indeed committed the crime rests on the prosecution. If the latter shows beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of the act complained of, then he will be met out a jail term. A legal judgment in a criminal suit may also order the convicted felon to pay the victim a specific amount of money to compensate for the injury or suffering that he has incurred.

Legal Judgments in Civil Cases

Civil judgments do not usually involve the curtailment of a person’s liberty. The orders or decrees under this category usually just issue monetary awards to the prevailing party. The ruling may also affirm or severe an existing relationship or kinship. The legal judgments in civil cases may involve a multitude of things or issues as civil statutes make up most of our laws.

Where to Look for Legal Judgments

The public is generally granted access to courts’ legal judgments. However, there are some rulings which are prohibited from being inspected or examined because of the sensitivity of the information contained therein.

Many legal judgments are already available online. People can examine or retrieve court records or decrees without having to go to the courthouse and rummage through the court records that are piled in storage rooms. If you want to retrieve legal judgments through the Public Access to Courts Electronic Records or PACER, click here. You may also check out RecordsSiteReviews' legal court records section and use the leading search service providers featured there to find the legal judgment you are looking for.
 

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