The courts
summary judgment
A ruling that no trial is needed because the material facts are not genuinely disputed and one side wins on the law as a matter of course.
In full
After discovery, either side may argue that a reasonable jury could only reach one conclusion, so the case should be decided on the papers. The court views the evidence in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Most civil cases that do not settle end here rather than at trial.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.