The courts
ruling
A court's decision on a question before it. A ruling on a motion decides one issue; a judgment decides the case; an opinion explains the reasoning.
In full
Coverage often flattens these. A ruling granting a preliminary injunction says who is likely to win and pauses the policy; it does not finally decide anything. A judgment ends the case in the trial court and starts the appeal clock. The published opinion is where the reasoning that binds future courts actually lives.
Also written as: decision, judgment
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.