Which statement about default judgments is true?

• A. A default judgment occurs when the plaintiff fails to file a complaint
• B. A default judgment is issued by jury verdict
• C. A default judgment is issued after a motion to dismiss
• D. A default judgment occurs when the defendant fails to respond in time

Answer: (D)

Default judgments happen when the defendant fails to respond within the time allowed, so the court can enter judgment for the plaintiff based on the pleadings without a trial. This is the precise situation described in the statement. It isn’t about the plaintiff failing to file a complaint—without a complaint there is no case at all. It isn’t a jury verdict, since defaults are entered by the judge, not decided by a jury after evidence is presented. It isn’t the result of a motion to dismiss, which challenges the viability of the case itself rather than the defendant’s failure to respond. If a default is entered, the defendant may later seek to have it set aside for good cause, but the essential trigger is the defendant’s failure to respond in time.