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The usual consent decree is not self-executing. In some cases, however, such as criminal cases, the judge must make some sorts of assessments before the court’s entry of the agreement as a consent decree.
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In many cases, the request for entry of a consent decree prompts judges to sign the documents presented then and there. The court is meant to turn this agreement into a judicial decree. One of three things happens: a lawsuit is filed and the parties concerned reach an agreement prior to adjudication of the contested issues a lawsuit is filed and actively contested, and the parties reach an agreement after the court has ruled on some issues or the parties settle their dispute prior to the filing of a lawsuit and they simultaneously file a lawsuit and request that the court agree to the entry of judgment. The process of introducing a consent decree begins with negotiation. 3.3.1 Actions under Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964.2.1 Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure.
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