Legal Definitions - Motion For New Trial

A Motion For New Trial is a formal request made by one of the parties in a lawsuit, *after* a trial has concluded and a judgment has been issued, asking the court to set aside the judgment and order a completely new trial. The party making the motion believes that significant errors or irregularities occurred during the first trial that unfairly affected the outcome, making a new examination of the case necessary to ensure justice.

Common reasons for requesting a new trial include:

• A significant error of law made by the judge (e.g., incorrect instructions given to the jury).
• The jury's verdict going against the clear weight of the evidence presented.
• Irregularities in the court proceedings that prejudiced one of the parties.
• Misconduct by the jury (e.g., jurors discussing the case outside of court or conducting independent research).
• The discovery of new, crucial evidence that was not available during the original trial and could change the outcome.
• Damages awarded by the jury being clearly excessive or insufficient.

If the court agrees that a significant error or injustice occurred, it may grant the motion and order a new trial. In some cases, particularly when the issue is related to the amount of damages, the court might offer to adjust the damages (either increasing or decreasing them) as an alternative to holding an entirely new trial.

Here are some examples of when a party might file a Motion For New Trial:

• Example 1: Jury Misconduct

  Imagine a high-stakes business fraud trial where the jury ultimately finds the defendant liable and awards a substantial sum to the plaintiff. A week after the verdict, it comes to light that several jurors, despite explicit instructions from the judge, used their smartphones during deliberations to research the defendant company's financial history and past controversies, sharing their findings with other jurors. This external information, not presented as evidence in court, likely influenced their decision. The defendant's legal team would file a Motion For New Trial, arguing that the jury's misconduct tainted the verdict and prevented a fair trial based solely on the evidence presented in court.

• Example 2: Significant Error of Law

  Consider a medical malpractice case where the judge, when instructing the jury on the standard of care a doctor must meet, mistakenly provides an outdated or incorrect legal definition. The jury, following these flawed instructions, then applies the wrong legal standard to the evidence and finds the doctor not liable. The plaintiff's attorney would file a Motion For New Trial, asserting that the judge's error in instructing the jury on a critical point of law directly led to an unjust verdict. They would argue that a new trial is necessary for the jury to properly evaluate the evidence under the correct legal standard.

• Example 3: Newly Discovered Material Evidence

  In a property dispute over a boundary line, the court rules in favor of one homeowner based on the existing surveys and property deeds presented at trial. A few days after the judgment, the losing homeowner discovers an old, previously unknown land survey from the county archives that clearly shows the boundary line in their favor, and this survey predates and supersedes the documents used in the trial. This new evidence was not reasonably discoverable before or during the trial. The homeowner's lawyer would file a Motion For New Trial, arguing that this newly discovered, crucial evidence fundamentally changes the facts of the case and warrants a complete re-examination of the property dispute.