Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: doctrine
Definition: A postjudgment retrial or reexamination of some or all of the issues determined in an earlier judgment. The trial court may order a new trial by motion of a party or on the court's own initiative. Also, when an appellate court reverses the trial court's judgment, it may remand the case to the trial court for a new trial on some or all of the issues on which the reversal is based.
These examples illustrate how a new trial can be requested or ordered in both criminal and civil cases if there are concerns about the fairness or accuracy of the previous trial.