default day

Same as appearance day,–the last day upon which a defendant may appear in order to avoid a default and the taking of a default judgment. Cruger v McCracken (Tex Civ App) 26 SW 282, 283. In an older day and under a practice which has been eliminated in most jurisdictions, a particular day of the term of court, usually he second day, was the "default day" for all actions commenced for the term irrespective of the time that had intervened between the service of process and the beginning of the term. Consequently "default day" was an occasion at which most of the lawyers of the county and many of the circuit outside the county gathered to take or prevent defaults. Liberality on the part of some judges, even at times in conflict with statute, permitted an appearance to be entered on behalf of a defendant when the case was called in the reading of the judge's calendar.