Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

Defendant does not show in court

if a defendant does not show for small claims court and a judgement is entered for the Plantiff can the no-show defendant protest the judgement? Thanks,


Asked on 11/06/06, 5:50 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys

Robert F. Cohen Law Office of Robert F. Cohen

Re: Defendant does not show in court

The defaulting defendant must take steps in trial court to set aside entry of default before further legal action (including appeal) can be taken.

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Answered on 11/06/06, 8:16 pm
Edward Hoffman Law Offices of Edward A. Hoffman

Re: Defendant does not show in court

I presume that by "protest" you mean actually challenge the judgment rather than just complaining about it. The answer is yes, but the defendant will have to offer a very good explanation -- such as improper service of the complaint or a medical emergency -- for his absence from court. With such an explanation he may be able to win relief from the default judgment and get another chance to present his case.

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Answered on 11/06/06, 10:51 pm


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