Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: Judgment Notwithstanding the Verdict
Definition: Sometimes, after a trial, a judge may decide that the jury made the wrong decision. This is called a "judgment notwithstanding the verdict." It means that even though the jury said one thing, the judge thinks something else is true. This can change the outcome of the trial and who wins the case.
Definition: Judgment notwithstanding the verdict is a legal term that refers to a ruling made by a judge in favor of one party, even though the jury found in favor of the opposing party.
For example, in the case of Hazen Paper v. Biggins, the jury found in favor of Hazen Paper, but the judge ruled in favor of Biggins. This means that the judge overruled the jury's decision and made a different ruling based on the evidence presented in the case.
Another example could be a case where a jury finds a defendant not guilty of a crime, but the judge rules that the evidence presented in the case is strong enough to convict the defendant. In this case, the judge could enter a judgment notwithstanding the verdict and find the defendant guilty.
These examples illustrate how a judge can overrule a jury's decision and make a different ruling based on the evidence presented in a case. This is a rare occurrence, as judges typically defer to the jury's decision, but it can happen in certain circumstances.