A civil judgment is a final court decision requiring one party to pay a specific sum of money to another party. In certain situations, the Court can order a civil judgment when restitution is ordered as part of the defendant’s sentence.
Crime victims do not need to file a separate civil lawsuit to get a civil judgment for the amount of restitution owed to them. The criminal or juvenile delinquency court order for restitution can be changed into a civil judgment.
The judgment is enforceable for 10 years and can be renewed. For more information about how to docket and collect a civil judgment, see the County Attorney’s 
Civil Judgments brochure.