THE GRASS. YOU DIDN'T DO A VERY GOOD JOB, BUT YOU DID A GOOD ENOUGH JOB TO GET $15, AND I HEREBY RENDER JUDGMENT IN FAVOR OF YOU.
NOW, WHAT IS A JUDGMENT? A JUDGMENT IS NOTHING BUT A COURT ORDER THAT DIRECTS SOMEBODY TO PAY SOMEBODY ELSE SOME MONEY. THAT'S A MONEY JUDGMENT. THERE ARE OTHER KINDS OF JUDGMENTS, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MONEY JUDGMENT HERE. SO, I ORDER YOU TO PAY JOHN PARKER $15 THAT YOU OWE HIM.
AND YOU SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT ISN'T RIGHT. I DON'T OWE THAT $15. HE DIDN'T DO THE GOOD KIND OF JOB HE SHOULD HAVE. I WANT TO GET TO ANOTHER COURT. AND THE JUDGE DOWN THERE SAYS, WELL, YOU CAN APPEAL MY JUDGMENT, BUT YOU HAVE TO POST AN APPEAL BOND IF YOU DO. AND YOU SAY, HOW MUCH IS THAT GOING TO COST ME?
HE SAYS, WELL, AN APPEAL LIKE THIS, YOU WOULD GO TO THE DISTRICT COURT, WHICH IS JUST ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CITY COURT, AND THE BOND WOULD BE IN THE AMOUNT OF $20. IT WOULD BE MORE THAN WHAT THE AMOUNT OF THE JUDGMENT IS.
SO, YOU POST $20 FOR AN APPEAL BOND. YOU HAD TO BORROW THE MONEY, BUT YOU POSTED AN APPEAL BOND. YOU DO THAT BY GIVING IT TO THE CLERK OF THE COURT WHO HOLDS THE MONEY WHILE YOU TAKE YOUR APPEAL.
NOW, THE PURPOSE OF THAT $20 APPEAL BOND IS TO PAY THE JUDGMENT IF THE $15 JUDGMENT IS AFFIRMED BY THE DISTRICT COURT ACROSS THE STREET. IN OTHER WORDS, IF I STILL WIN IN THE UPPER COURT, AND THE HIGHER COURT SAYS THAT JUDGMENT IS AFFIRMED, THAT MONEY IS THERE TO BE SURE THAT THAT JUDGMENT CAN BE PAID.
THE REASON THE LAW PROVIDES FOR THAT IS THAT WHEN YOU TAKE AN APPEAL AND POST THAT BOND, THAT'S WHAT IS CALLED SUSPENDING THE EXECUTION OF *761 THE JUDGMENT. THAT MEANS YOU HAVE A JUDGMENT, BUT YOU CAN'T ENFORCE IT. AND BECAUSE YOU DON'T GET YOUR MONEY WHEN YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO, YOU HAVE TO PUT UP MORE MONEY TO COVER INTEREST AND THAT SORT OF THING. THAT'S WHY IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE $15. IT'S $20.
NOW, IF THE DISTRICT COURT AFFIRMS THE JUDGMENT, THEN I CAN GO BACK TO THE CITY COURT AND GET MY MONEY BACK FROM THE CLERK OF COURT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE APPEAL BOND.
IF THE DISTRICT COURT SAYS, WELL, THE CITY COURT IS WRONG, YOU DON'T OWE THAT MONEY, THE JUDGMENT IS HEREBY REVERSED, AND THE JUDGEMENT IS VACATED AND SET ASIDE, THERE NO LONGER IS ANY JUDGMENT, AND WE REMAND IT FOR A NEW TRIAL.
SO, YOU START ALL OVER. I DO, BECAUSE I'M THE ONE ASKING FOR THE MONEY. THERE IS NO JUDGMENT. IN ORDER TO GET THE MONEY, I'VE GOT TO GO BACK TO COURT AND GET ANOTHER JUDGMENT. I'VE GOT TO WIN AGAIN, IN OTHER WORDS.
NOW, UNDER SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, THE CITY COURT MAY SAY,