What is the final court order when a defendant fails to respond and a default judgment is entered?

• A. Default Judgment
• B. Summary Judgment
• C. Judgment on the Pleadings
• D. Subpoena

Answer: (A)

When a defendant does not respond to a complaint within the time allowed, the court can enter a default, and the final court order that results is a default judgment. This judgment grants the relief requested by the plaintiff and binds the defendant, effectively ending the case on the merits for the pleaded claims. It’s different from a summary judgment, which is a merit-based ruling on the basis of the record showing no genuine issues of material fact (and not simply due to failure to respond). It’s also different from a judgment on the pleadings, which is decided from the pleadings themselves rather than any later failure to answer. A subpoena, by contrast, is a court command to appear or produce documents, not a judgment.