Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

I got sued for unlawful detainer. After a short trial, the judge ordered judgment in my favor. The plaintiff has now appealed, and I noticed for the first time in looking at the court file that the actual judgment was signed by a court clerk. Is this a valid judgment, or is this going to get reversed and we have to start all over again?


Asked on 5/23/11, 5:49 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Mark Saltzman, MBA, JD Law Offices of Mark E. Saltzman

It is likely that the judgment was signed by the judge or commissioner, and the form that you saw (with the clerk's signature on it) was a notice that the judgment had been sent out, by mail, or delivered to the parties.

I have sat as a Judge Pro Tem, in landlord tenant court, for about 14 years, throughout Los Angeles County. I have found that each court is different in how the judgment is written. In some courts, there is a form on a sheet of paper. In many courts, there is a form that is stamped on the file folder. In other courts, there is no form, at all. The judge simply writes the judgment on the file folder or a sheet of paper.

Look through the file. You will likely find the judgment, signed by the bench officer.

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Answered on 5/25/11, 1:30 pm


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