The courts
settlement
An agreement resolving a lawsuit without a judgment. Most civil cases end this way, often with no admission of wrongdoing and sometimes under seal.
In full
Settlements save both sides the cost and risk of trial, but they also end the public record of a dispute: no findings, no precedent, and sometimes no disclosure. Class action settlements require judicial approval because absent class members are bound by them. Government settlements are frequently public and may take the form of a consent decree.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.