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Terms Used In 7 Guam Code Ann. § 24606

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
) Any party to an action wherein it is alleged that two or more parties are joint tortfeasors shall be entitled to a hearing on the issue of the issue of the good faith of a settlement entered into by the plaintiff or other claimant and one or more alleged tortfeasors, upon giving notice at least twenty (20) days before the hearing. In addition, the notice may be served by mail but in those cases the period of notice shall be twenty-five (25) days if the place of address is within the territory of Guam, at least thirty (30) days if the place of address is outside of the territory of Guam within the United States, and at least forty (40) days if the place of address is outside the United States. Upon a showing of good cause, the court may shorten the time for giving the required notice to permit the determination of the issue to be made before the commencement of the trial of the action, or before the verdict or judgment if settlement is made after the trial has commenced.

(b) The issue of the good faith of a settlement may be determined by the court on the basis of affidavits served with the notice of hearing, and any counter affidavits filed in response thereto, or any evidence at the hearing.

(c) A determination by the court that the settlement was made in good faith shall bar any other joint tortfeasor from any further claims against the

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CH. 24 ACTIONS IN PARTICULAR CASES

settling tortfeasor for equitable comparative contribution, or partial or comparative indemnity, based on comparative negligence or comparative fault.

(d) The party asserting the lack of good faith shall have the burden of proof on that issue, except if the issue is raised by a party to the settlement, in which case the burden of proof shall be on the proponent.

(e) A settlement shall be deemed in bad faith if it is made for significantly less than the reasonable value of the claim for which it is made taking into account the likelihood of liability, assets and insurance available to pay the claim, the cost and difficulty of pursuing the claim, the relationship between the parties to the settlement, and such other factors as the court may deem appropriate or relevant.

(f) If the court finds that a settlement was not made in good faith, the settlement agreement shall be of no force and effect as to any parties not signatory to the settlement.

SOURCE: CCP § 835.

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