With Civil Rights Litigation, the process can be time consuming. The optimal result is settling out of court but if it does go to court, it can be a lengthy process. A lot of work must go into the case before it even gets into the courtroom. The facts must first be obtained and an agreement is made on what the lawsuit will be. Once this is done, there is a pre-trial investigation in which documents such as police reports and medical records are obtained. Then, the person who is initiating the lawsuit files a complaint with the courts. The defendant then answers the complaint and there is more paperwork which must be filed. Once all of those documents are filed and closed, a motion for judgment can be made in some cases. Other times, the case is moved to trial. Between all of this, any number of objections can be made as well as motions to force the other party into complying in one way or another. As stated previously, it can be a lengthy process and that is before it ever makes it to trial, if it makes it to trial. Both the defendant and the plaintiff can make use of a number of motions which may help the case but delays the trial.