Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

You may find that the defendant has filed for bankruptcy. Look for a notice from bankruptcy court. If so, then unless your case was based upon fraud, then, it will be discharged.

It shouldn't say it was stayed at all. A defendant can appeal de novo to the Superior Court, but once the Superior Court has issued a judgment, the defendant cannot appeal anymore.

Filing bankruptcy triggers an automatic stay, and the court itself does not issue a separate stay. I would check with the court clerk to determine what is going on. It may be a data entry error on the part of the clerks, and you may want to resolve it before pursuing collection.