Which term is a pleading requesting that the court decide the case based on the pleadings alone?

• A. Summary Judgment
• B. Directed Verdict
• C. Judgment on the Pleadings
• D. Demurrer

Answer: (C)

The concept being tested is deciding a case using only the information in the pleadings. Judgment on the pleadings is a post-pleadings motion where the court looks solely at the complaint, the answer, and any cross-claims to determine whether the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law without considering any external evidence. Because no affidavits, depositions, or other proof are involved, the court’s decision rests purely on the legal sufficiency of what the parties have pled. This makes it the correct term for a request that the court decide the case based only on the pleadings.

Briefly, the other options involve different procedures: summary judgment relies on evidence outside the pleadings; a directed verdict is decided during or after a trial based on the evidence presented; a demurrer challenges the sufficiency of the pleadings themselves but does not necessarily bring a complete judgment based only on the pleadings.