Legal Definitions - case made

A "case made" refers to the complete factual record and legal arguments that have been formally prepared and presented by the parties involved in a legal dispute. This comprehensive package of information—including evidence, witness testimony, and legal briefs—is then submitted to a court for a decision, or to a higher court for review. It represents the fully developed presentation of each side's position, upon which the court will base its judgment.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of a "case made":

• Trial Court Deliberation: In a civil lawsuit concerning a breach of contract, both the plaintiff and the defendant have presented all their witnesses, submitted all relevant documents as evidence, and delivered their closing arguments to the judge. At this point, the judge declares that the "case is made," meaning all necessary information and arguments have been formally presented, and the court can now proceed to deliberate and render a verdict.

  This illustrates "case made" because all the factual evidence (witnesses, documents) and legal arguments (closing arguments) have been fully developed and submitted to the court, forming the complete record for the judge's decision.

• Appellate Review: After a lower court ruled against a defendant in a property dispute, the defendant decided to appeal. Their legal team compiled the entire trial transcript, all exhibits admitted into evidence during the original trial, and drafted detailed legal briefs outlining their arguments for reversal. Once these documents were filed with the appellate court, the "case was made" for the appellate review, providing the higher court with the complete record needed to evaluate the lower court's decision.

  Here, the "case made" consists of the trial transcript, exhibits, and legal briefs, which collectively represent the complete factual and legal presentation for the appellate court's consideration.

• Stipulated Facts for Legal Ruling: Two businesses are in disagreement over the interpretation of a specific clause in a long-term supply agreement. Instead of a full trial, they agree on all the underlying facts and jointly prepare a document detailing these agreed-upon facts, along with their respective legal arguments about how the clause should be interpreted. They submit this document directly to a court, asking for a ruling on the legal question. By doing so, they have presented a "case made" for the court to decide solely on the point of law, based on their agreed factual record.

  This example shows "case made" as the agreed-upon facts and legal arguments, which together form the complete submission for the court to make a legal determination without needing further factual development.