In law, a disposition is the final outcome of a case — the way a court matter officially ends. In a criminal case, the disposition is whether the defendant was convicted, acquitted, had charges dropped, or resolved the matter some other way. In a civil case, it is whether the court entered a judgment, approved a settlement, or dismissed the lawsuit. The disposition becomes part of the permanent court record and shapes everything that follows, from background checks to whether the same matter can ever be brought again.
A case can arrive at its disposition through several routes. Some go to trial, where a judge or jury weighs evidence and decides the result. Most criminal cases end instead through a plea agreement, where the defendant pleads guilty or no contest in exchange for reduced charges or a sentencing recommendation. Civil cases most often settle, with the parties filing a stipulated dismissal or asking the court to enter a consent judgment reflecting their deal. Cases can also end through dismissal when the prosecutor drops charges or a judge throws the case out for legal or procedural problems.
Common Criminal Dispositions
Conviction
A conviction happens when a defendant is found guilty at trial or pleads guilty. It leads to sentencing, which can include jail or prison time, fines, probation, community service, or some combination. The specific penalty depends on the severity of the offense and any applicable sentencing guidelines. Of all the dispositions, a conviction carries the most lasting consequences because it creates a permanent criminal record visible to employers, landlords, and licensing agencies.
Acquittal
An acquittal means a judge or jury found the defendant not guilty. The prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and the defendant walks free of those charges.1Legal Information Institute. Beyond a Reasonable Doubt An acquittal is permanent. Under the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment, the government cannot retry someone for the same offense after an acquittal.2Constitution Annotated. Intro.9.2.11 McElrath v. Georgia – Does the Double Jeopardy Clause Prohibit Retrial
Dismissal
A dismissal ends a case without a finding of guilt or innocence. Prosecutors may dismiss charges because the evidence is weak, a witness becomes unavailable, or circumstances have changed. A court can also dismiss charges when it finds legal or procedural problems. What matters most is whether the dismissal is “with prejudice” or “without prejudice,” a distinction discussed below.
Nolle Prosequi
Nolle prosequi is a formal declaration by the prosecutor that they will not pursue the case. The Latin phrase translates as “not to wish to prosecute.”3Legal Information Institute. Nolle Prosequi It typically happens before the case goes to the jury, though the exact timing rules vary by jurisdiction. Unlike an acquittal, a nolle prosequi does not necessarily prevent the prosecutor from refiling the same charges later, so the defendant does not receive double jeopardy protection.
Deferred Adjudication
Deferred adjudication is a disposition where the defendant pleads guilty or no contest, but the court holds off on entering a formal conviction. The court sets conditions the defendant must meet over a supervision period, such as completing community service, attending counseling, or staying employed. If the defendant satisfies every condition, the charges are dismissed and no conviction appears on the record.4FindLaw. What Are Deferred Adjudication and Pretrial Diversion
There is a catch. Even after a successful deferral, the plea and case history often remain visible in court records, which means the arrest and case can still show up on a background check unless the defendant takes additional steps to have the record sealed or expunged.4FindLaw. What Are Deferred Adjudication and Pretrial Diversion
Common Civil Dispositions
Civil cases have their own set of dispositions. These outcomes determine whether one party owes money or must take specific action.
Judgment After Trial
When a civil case goes to trial, the judge or jury decides whether the defendant is liable and what relief the plaintiff receives. The defendant is found either “liable” or “not liable” rather than guilty or not guilty.5Legal Information Institute. Civil Liability A liable defendant is ordered to provide a remedy, usually monetary damages, though it can also include an injunction requiring or prohibiting specific conduct.
Default Judgment
A default judgment is entered when the defendant fails to respond to a lawsuit at all. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55, if a defendant does not file an answer or otherwise defend, the court can enter judgment against them.6Legal Information Institute. Rule 55 – Default; Default Judgment When the plaintiff seeks a specific dollar amount, the clerk can enter the default judgment automatically. Otherwise, the court holds a hearing to determine damages. Default judgments are fully enforceable, so ignoring a lawsuit is one of the most expensive mistakes a defendant can make.
Summary Judgment
Summary judgment ends a case before trial when there is no genuine dispute about the key facts. A court grants it if the evidence shows that one side is entitled to win as a matter of law, making a trial unnecessary.7Legal Information Institute. Rule 56 – Summary Judgment Either party can request it, and the court can grant it on part of a case, resolving some claims while sending others to trial.
Settlement
Most civil cases end in a settlement rather than a trial. When parties reach an agreement, they typically file a stipulated dismissal or ask the court to enter a consent judgment reflecting their deal. A consent judgment carries the force of a court order, so a party who violates its terms can be held in contempt. A voluntary dismissal with prejudice ends the case permanently but leaves enforcement of the settlement terms to a separate breach-of-contract action if needed.
Dismissal With Prejudice vs. Without Prejudice
Two short phrases change what a dismissal actually means. A dismissal with prejudice permanently bars the same claim from being brought again. It functions as a final decision on the merits, and the doctrine of res judicata prevents anyone from relitigating the same dispute.8Legal Information Institute. With Prejudice
A dismissal without prejudice leaves the door open to refile. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41, a voluntary dismissal is presumed to be without prejudice unless the filing says otherwise. There is one automatic exception: if the plaintiff has already dismissed the same claim once before in any federal or state court, a second voluntary dismissal operates as a judgment on the merits, effectively making it with prejudice.9Legal Information Institute. Rule 41 – Dismissal of Actions
Even when a dismissal is without prejudice, the statute of limitations still applies. If the filing deadline has already passed by the time the case is dismissed, the plaintiff cannot refile regardless of the label. The same logic applies in criminal cases to a nolle prosequi: the prosecutor can theoretically refile, but only if the statute of limitations has not expired.
Mistrials Are Not Dispositions
A mistrial is not a disposition. It is a declaration that the trial cannot continue, most commonly because the jury is deadlocked and cannot reach a unanimous verdict (a “hung jury”). The defendant is neither convicted nor acquitted, and the case is essentially reset. The prosecution can retry the case without violating double jeopardy, a principle the Supreme Court established in United States v. Perez in 1824. Whether the prosecutor actually does retry the case depends on the strength of the evidence and available resources.
Appeals and Finality
A disposition is not necessarily the last word. Either side can appeal, asking a higher court to review the trial court’s decision for legal errors. The timeline is strict, and missing it usually forfeits the right to appeal entirely.
In federal civil cases, the notice of appeal must be filed within 30 days after the judgment is entered. That deadline extends to 60 days if the United States is a party. Federal criminal defendants have an even shorter window: 14 days after the judgment of conviction or the order being appealed.10Legal Information Institute. Rule 4 – Appeal as of Right, When Taken State court deadlines vary but follow a similar pattern of tight filing windows.
Certain post-trial motions, like a motion for a new trial, pause the appeal clock. The deadline restarts when the court rules on the last pending motion.10Legal Information Institute. Rule 4 – Appeal as of Right, When Taken A court can grant a limited extension for excusable neglect or good cause, but only if the party asks within 30 days of the original deadline’s expiration.
How Dispositions Affect Background Checks
For many people, the practical importance of a disposition comes down to what shows up when an employer runs a background check. The type of disposition matters enormously here.
A conviction can be reported on a background check indefinitely under federal law. Non-conviction records — dismissals, acquittals, and dropped charges — face a different rule. The Fair Credit Reporting Act prohibits consumer reporting agencies from including records of arrests that did not result in a conviction if those records are more than seven years old from the date of the arrest or charge.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c – Requirements on Consumer Reporting Agencies
From the employer’s side, the EEOC has taken the position that the mere fact of an arrest does not establish that criminal conduct occurred. An employer who refuses to hire someone solely based on an arrest record, without considering the actual conduct involved, risks a Title VII discrimination claim. A conviction, by contrast, generally serves as sufficient evidence that the person engaged in the underlying conduct.12U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Under Title VII
One frustrating reality is that criminal history databases are often incomplete. The EEOC has noted that disposition information, such as entry into a diversion program or a deferred adjudication, frequently goes unrecorded in national databases.12U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Under Title VII An arrest can appear in a background check without any indication that the charges were later dismissed, which is one reason checking your own records and correcting errors matters.
Expungement and Sealing
Depending on the disposition, a person may be able to have their record expunged (destroyed) or sealed (hidden from public view). The rules vary widely by jurisdiction, but certain dispositions are far more likely to qualify than others. Acquittals and successful diversions are the strongest candidates. Convictions for serious offenses are the least likely to be eligible.
At the federal level, one specific expungement path exists for first-time drug possession offenses. Under 18 U.S.C. § 3607, a person found guilty of simple possession under the Controlled Substances Act may be placed on probation for up to one year without a judgment of conviction being entered. If probation is completed successfully, the court dismisses the proceedings. If the person was under 21 at the time of the offense, they can apply for an expungement order that erases all official records of the arrest and prosecution.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 3607 – Special Probation and Expungement Procedures for Drug Possessors The effect is to restore the person, in the eyes of the law, to the status they had before the arrest ever happened.
State expungement laws are broader but inconsistent. Waiting periods, eligible offenses, and available relief differ substantially. Some states allow expungement immediately after an acquittal or dismissal, while others impose waiting periods of several years even for non-conviction dispositions. Anyone interested in clearing a record should look up their state’s specific eligibility rules.
Finding and Correcting Disposition Records
The disposition is permanently recorded in the case file and available for future reference by legal professionals, law enforcement, and in most situations the public. Federal court dispositions are accessible through PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records), which allows account holders to search appellate, district, and bankruptcy court records. The PACER Case Locator runs a nationwide federal search if you are not sure which court handled a case.14United States Courts. Find a Case (PACER) State court records are managed separately by each state’s court system. Many states offer free online case lookup portals, though the level of detail and accessibility varies.
Mistakes happen. A disposition might be recorded incorrectly due to a clerical error, such as listing the wrong charge or misidentifying the outcome. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(a), a court can correct clerical mistakes or errors arising from oversight at any time, either on a party’s motion or on its own initiative.15Legal Information Institute. Rule 60 – Relief from a Judgment or Order Substantive errors, where the court got the law wrong rather than making a typo, require a different process under Rule 60(b), which allows relief for reasons like newly discovered evidence, fraud, or a fundamental change in the governing law. Most grounds must be raised within one year of the judgment, so anyone who believes their disposition was recorded incorrectly should address it quickly.